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Question

What information is available about food spoilage of a GMO farm vs. An independent nongmo or local coop, or organic farm do you have?

Submitted by: Sunday Elder


Answer

Expert response from Lorie Farrell

Independent Consultant

Wednesday, 11/03/2015 17:28

Great question, as reducing the amount of food wasted has significant economic, social and environmental benefits, yet it's not a benefit that most people associate with GMOs and the beginning of our food system.

 

Often when we think of food waste we only consider food waste at the end of our food system, from our refrigerator or our plates. Farmers think of food waste in terms of production and income loss. Unsellable fruit due to disease is a food waste and a direct loss to the producer.

 

Hawaii papaya farmers chose an improved seed variety- a GMO- to provide resistance to the papaya ring spot virus "PRV". The disease causes a 100% loss in an infected papaya tree, and once infected, the tree dies. There is no cure or successful crop protection method available. Farmers in Hawaii prevent crop losses from PRV by planting GMO papaya trees; thereby stopping food waste due to PRV before it begins and conserving resources.

 

By comparison, a farmer, which grows organic or non-GMO variety papaya trees that get infected will suffer a 100% loss of trees and fruit.  The difference in fruit production from a GMO papaya farm to an infected non-GMO or organic farm is the difference of approximately 115,000 pounds of fruit annually. 

 

Without the GMO papaya tree, it would not be possible to produce any papaya in Hawaii due to the increased PRV virus load. Biotechnology provides a solution that avoids additional pesticide treatments and increases a farmer’s sellable fruit, as they no longer sustain losses due to PRV. Even the off grades are sellable, this translates into an increased food recovery at the beginning of our food system preserving our natural resources.

 

With GM papaya, waste due to low quality is greatly reduced, resulting in higher quality fruit for consumers and higher profits for the farmers.