Ethical Debate in Agriculture

Flavr Savr Tomato

One ethical debate facing agriculture today is the food supply. Many people are afraid of genetically modified crops, but they do not understand the full potential of these small changes in a genetic sequence. One example of this small change was the invention of the Flavr Savr Tomato in 1994. The Flavr Savr tomato has the ability to make healthy eating choices reach even the most remote locations in the world, by providing extended crop life. My biology professor, Shawn Mueske, from Ridgwater Community college in Willmar, MN researched this crop while he went to graduate school. He presented on this topic and explained the many benefits and disadvantages of GM crops. 

Below is a picture comparison of excess ethylene production in tomato plants. The overproduction causes the fruit to spoil.

https://www.google.com/

The Flavr Savr tomato is a tomato that does not have the ability to ripen naturally. Crops ripen by ethylene gas converting starches to sugars. The more ethylene gas produced, the faster the fruit will ripen. To give an example you may already understand; it is the same as placing a green banana in a brown paper bag with an already ripe banana. The ethylene given off by the already ripe fruit causes others around it to ripen faster than they would normally. 

This causes a large amount of waste in grocery stores around the world. Tomatoes spoil quickly and then the additional ethylene production causes the surrounding fruits to over ripen. The Flavr Savr Tomato produces no ethylene, so you purchase the tomatoes green. They stay green until you inject ethylene in them and then they ripen before your eyes. 

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1832.html

There is an ethical debate on the wide use of these modifications and the health implements they may cause. A breeder never wants a crop modification they make to hinder the intended audience. This looks bad for their breeding company and for future job openings the breeder may want to apply to.

A very large ethical standard in crop research is safety. All people need to be safe at all times. The crop was never shown to have poor health side effects, however no long term research has been conducted. One of DuPont Pioneer ethics states that no amount of money, time, or investments is worth an employee being injured on the job. 

Another ethical standard set by plant breeders is to create the best crop possible. Although Flavr Savr Tomatoes are able to be stored for months on end at room temperature, the flavor of the tomato in nonexsistent. Mr. Mueske thought that the tomato tasted like wood. This is because the starches do not have  the proper time to convert to sugars. The beautiful red color may be there, but with no taste the tomato will not sell. Therefore, breeders and research companies never allowed these tomatoes to go into market production. This is an example of how breeders remain honest and fair when marketing their product.