What a GMO Isn’t Because there is a gap in explaining what a GMO is, confusion exists around determining which food in the produce section of the grocery store is a product of GMO. Genetic innovation to make fruit sweeter, seedless, bigger, smaller, more robust, or easier to harvest are happening in agriculture all the time, but that doesn’t mean those products are a result of genetic engineering. Along with genetic editing, a lot of these new variants of much-loved produce come from a more traditional approach like selective breeding. This is a more time-intensive approach requiring methodical scientific work. So though some may find a seedless fruit suspicious (how can something that comes from a seed be seedless?), that doesn’t mean the produce is a result of genetic alteration. Innovation in agriculture is creative and groundbreaking, and it is powered by the motivation of the industry to provide fresh, healthy produce to the public year after year while adding a bit of surprise and delight (like making fruit taste like a ballpark candy favorite). What are Common Fears Related to GMOs? The primary concern people seem to have in relation to GMOs is the potential negative health outcomes that may come from consuming them. Of the concerns, some note that they’re worried that consuming GMOs may lead to allergic reactions, toxic effects, long-term health issues or that the introduction of foreign genes into crops could have unforeseen consequences. According to the FDA, “GMO foods are as healthful and safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. Some GMO plants have actually been modified to improve their nutritional value.” But in the common practice of science, the summary is not a declaration, and many researchers continue to assess whether or not there are long-term health effects associated with consuming GMOs. It’s important to recognize that the availability of GMOs were created and utilized with a purpose, and they have accomplished some of those objectives. In the article A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops, researchers Wilhelm Klümper and Matin state, “On average, GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68%.
Yield gains and pesticide reductions are larger for insect-resistant crops than for herbicide-tolerant crops. Yield and profit gains are higher in developing countries than in developed countries…The meta- analysis reveals robust evidence of GM crop benefits for farmers in developed and developing countries. Such evidence may help to gradually increase public trust in this technology.” What Lies Ahead? Agriculture is an industry that is pulled by the current of adaptation; it’s a component of the very product growers are in the business of selling. The tools that are used today also change with the adaptive nature of the industry and are one step in the way forward. In the same way that the science of the past seems outdated to us now, the ways of today will look the same to those looking back. Already the techniques of genetic alterations are opening up the way to gene editing. As a succinct overview, the researchers Alessandro Nicolia et al. noted in the article An Overview of the Last 10 Years of Genetically Engineered Crop Safety Research : “ The technology to produce genetically engineered (GE) plants is celebrating its 30th anniversary and one of the major achievements has been the development of GE crops. The safety of GE crops is crucial for their adoption and has been the object of intense research work often ignored in the public debate. We have reviewed the scientific literature on GE crop safety during the last 10 years, built a classified and manageable list of scientific papers, and analyzed the distribution and composition of the published literature. We selected original research papers, reviews, relevant opinions and reports addressing all the major issues that emerged in the debate on GE crops, trying to catch the scientific consensus that has matured since GE plants became widely cultivated worldwide. The scientific research conducted so far has not detected any significant hazards directly connected with the use of GE crops; however, the debate is still intense.” The effort to provide food to a growing population will continue in both the field and the lab. It’s the responsibility of consumers (who are also voters) to navigate the scientific literature to question beliefs and challenge fears.
WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2023 ALBERT KECK, Chair STUART WOOLF, Vice Chair NEILL CALLIS, Treasurer DON CAMERON, Executive Secretary DAVE PUGLIA, President & CEO DIRECTORS – 2023 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California CRAIG ALAMEDA Topflavor Farms Inc, Salinas, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California CHAD AMARAL D’Arrigo Bros Co of California, Salinas, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP, Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California BRIAN BERTELSEN Cove Ranch Management, Reedley, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California RODNEY BRAGA Braga Ranch, Soledad, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company, Turlock, California DON CAMERON Terranova Ranch, Inc., Helm, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCE W. COX Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc., Yuba City, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California TIMOTHY ESCAMILLA Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California ROBERT GIRAGOSIAN Kern Ridge Growers, LLC, Arvin, California BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Fullerton, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens, Thermal, California J.P. LABRUCHERIE LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California TOM MULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California DOMINIC J. MUZZI, JR. Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California JOHN POWELL JR. Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERIC T. REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California KYLE RICHARDSON Garry Richardson Farms, Bakersfield, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona BRUCE TALBOTT Talbott’s Mountain Gold, LLP, Palisade, Colorado RYAN TALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C. TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California JACK VESSEY Vessey and Company Inc, Holtville, California MIKE WAY Prime Time International, Coachella, California STUART WOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROB YRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
JULY | AUGUST 2023
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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