Does gene editing improve crop performance?
Genetic engineering techniques have been used successfully to improve fruit crops in various ways, including increased stress tolerance and fruit quality. In 1994, the “Flavr Savr Tomato” was approved for commercial growth in the U.S. It featured genetic modifications that slowed ripening and kept the tomatoes harder after picking. The Hawaiian papaya is also modified, with over 80% of the crop featuring gene edits that protect the fruit from an incurable disease.
The costs of regulatory checks to ensure safety are one barrier to more genetically modified crops. The emergence of CRISPR gene-editing techniques has the potential to improve fruit crops in a more timely and cost-effective manner because it is not subject to the same stringent regulations as traditional genetically modified crops.
