Question
What was the first GMO crop to be introduced in the marketplace?
What was the first GMO crop to be introduced into the marketplace?
Submitted by: Ashley Elaine Stein
Answer
Expert response from Fran Castle
Former Global Senior Manager, Communications, BASF
Thursday, 06/11/2014 15:22
Our Explore the Basics section discusses the first GM crop introduced into the marketplace, the Flavr Savr tomato:
“The Flavr Savr tomato was the first GM food crop to be available commercially in the United States, in 1994. It was created to be less perishable. Weak harvests and costly shipping methods combined to create an unprofitable tomato. As a result, the Flavr Savr tomato was commercialized for only three years.”
You might also be interested in the excerpt below, which includes a chart of the eight GM crops currently available in the United States: squash, cotton, soybean, corn, papaya, alfalfa, sugar beets and canola.
Here is a table outlining what year these crops became available commercially:
|
Squash |
Upjohn (now Seminis) |
1995 |
|
Cotton |
Monsanto |
1996 |
|
Soybean |
Monsanto |
1995 |
|
Corn |
Ciba Seeds |
1996 |
|
Papaya |
Cornell University/University of Hawaii |
1997 |
|
Alfalfa |
Monsanto and Forage Genetics |
2006 |
|
Sugar beets |
Monsanto and KWS SAAT AG |
2006 |
|
Canola |
Monsanto |
1999 |
If you have any additional questions, please ask.
Video: About GMO Answers