At first I had plans to make this a quick blog post, spending just enough time to share some information I received from the good folks over at Food Democracy that I think you need to be aware of. Then it hit me. I’ve never shared my thoughts on GMOs (genetically modified organisms, if you will) with you.

Okay, what is a GMO, you ask? A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic structure has been altered by incorporating a gene that will express a desirable trait; this process is often termed “gene splicing.” Most often, the incorporated gene allows the organism to express a trait that will enhance the final product’s desirability to producers or consumers. Keeping this in mind, let’s talk tomatoes.

As we all know, tomatoes generally get softer as they ripen. This is due to a protein in the tomato that breaks down the cell walls of the aforementioned fruit, a natural process that just happens to tomatoes. However, this process was deemed undesirable by the tomato industry because soft tomatoes are difficult to transport across the country without brusing or breaking.

Enter the “Flavr Savr Tomato,” a tomato that could be left to ripen longer on the vine and still remain firm through a couple of weeks of shipping, handling, and sitting on a store shelf … and the first food produced from gene splicing. The “Flavr Savr Tomato” had a gene incorporated into its DNA to prevent the breakdown of the tomatoes’ cell walls. The result of the incorporation of this new gene was a firm ripe tomato, ready to ship to consumers across the country.

What’s so wrong with that you ask? Umm, where do I begin?

First, and probably most simply, what’s wrong with a tomato getting a little soft and ultimately going bad quickly if not consumed? As I said above, it’s a NATURAL process that occurs within the tomato. To me, this just means one needs to consume tomatoes as soon as the come off the vine; they’ll be at their freshest—and tastiest—at that time anyway. This is why I buy my tomatoes at my local farmers’ market. I know that these tomatoes were picked the day they were brought to the market and only traveled a relatively short distance to get to me. Which leads me to …

Second, genetically modified organisms pose a number of risks, both known and unknown. In a nutshell, the controversies surrounding genetically modified foods and crops typically focus on safety (to both human beings and the environment), labeling issues and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction, and environmental stewardship. I could go deeper into each of these risks, but really, isn’t the fact that this list is so long enough to make you question the need for GMOs? Which leads me to …

The reason I started this blog post in the first place was to make you aware of an important issue in the GMO world that needs your attention now. Therefore, I present to you the following from the folks at Food Democracy:

Once again, the organic industry is under assault. Monsanto is eager to resume the marketing and sale of their Roundup Ready™ alfalfa.

Several senators and representatives have already signed, along with numerous non-profit organizations, businesses, and companies to send a clear message to Congress saying “NO” to GMO alfalfa.

Oh, so whatever happened to the “Flavr Savr Tomato”? Turns out, this tomato didn’t taste very good and was extremely costly to produce so it shriveled on the vine. I guess we can chalk one up for the good guys.