The Flavr Savr Tomato was first created to take longer to ripen and there are many reasons why this idea could last; but there are also some reasons why this project wouldn’t be so efficient as well. Some positive reasons of the project were that it took a shorter time to breed the tomatoes, farmers would make more money from the gm plant and customers will get to have the tomatoes for a longer time before the go soft. However, the negative reasons are that there could be unknown health problems, it may affect the environment and the gm tomato could be costly for the economy. Which one will outweigh the other, the positives or the negatives?
POSITIVES
The first advantage the Flavr Savr Tomatoes was that the breeding time for this new gm food was shorter than normal tomatoes meaning more tomatoes would be ready to be sold in a shorter amount of time and also making tomato farming more efficient. This leads onto my next point which is that farmers would gain much more income from this than ordinary tomatoes. As the tomato is far from ordinary and is like an ‘upgrade’, the price could go up for the gm tomatoes. The last positive reason of the Flavr Savr Tomato is customers who buy the tomato will also receive benefits as they would be able store the tomatoes for longer and therefore would have an extended time to use the tomatoes before they begin to soften up. These are some of the advantages that could come if the Flavr Savr Tomato project becomes commercial.
The first advantage the Flavr Savr Tomatoes was that the breeding time for this new gm food was shorter than normal tomatoes meaning more tomatoes would be ready to be sold in a shorter amount of time and also making tomato farming more efficient. This leads onto my next point which is that farmers would gain much more income from this than ordinary tomatoes. As the tomato is far from ordinary and is like an ‘upgrade’, the price could go up for the gm tomatoes. The last positive reason of the Flavr Savr Tomato is customers who buy the tomato will also receive benefits as they would be able store the tomatoes for longer and therefore would have an extended time to use the tomatoes before they begin to soften up. These are some of the advantages that could come if the Flavr Savr Tomato project becomes commercial.
NEGATIVES
On the other hand, there are many ways in which the negative reasons could stop the process of the tomatoes. The first reason is that, since the Flavr Savr Tomatoes are created from an experiment changing the genes of the tomato, the tomatoes could cause unknown effects to humans or even animals that eat it. The modified gene could also create an allergy in people who are not allergic to normal tomatoes. The next reason is that the growing of the tomato and the tomato itself could harm the environment. As the tomato is relatively new, there could be unknown resistants and this could harm other organisms which survive with and off the normal tomato but mistaken the GM Tomato for an ordinary one. Finally, the gene modifications and growing expenses could be costly to the economy as there would be the need to create new technology for the tomato. Also if poorer farmers are unable to afford the GM Tomato, it would create a wider gap between the rich and the poor (Whitman, 2000); with the wealthy purchasing the GM Tomatoes from the farmers who can afford it; and the poor purchasing ordinary tomatoes from the farmers who could afford it. Why should we try this new tomato when it could potentially harm us and the environment we live in?
On the other hand, there are many ways in which the negative reasons could stop the process of the tomatoes. The first reason is that, since the Flavr Savr Tomatoes are created from an experiment changing the genes of the tomato, the tomatoes could cause unknown effects to humans or even animals that eat it. The modified gene could also create an allergy in people who are not allergic to normal tomatoes. The next reason is that the growing of the tomato and the tomato itself could harm the environment. As the tomato is relatively new, there could be unknown resistants and this could harm other organisms which survive with and off the normal tomato but mistaken the GM Tomato for an ordinary one. Finally, the gene modifications and growing expenses could be costly to the economy as there would be the need to create new technology for the tomato. Also if poorer farmers are unable to afford the GM Tomato, it would create a wider gap between the rich and the poor (Whitman, 2000); with the wealthy purchasing the GM Tomatoes from the farmers who can afford it; and the poor purchasing ordinary tomatoes from the farmers who could afford it. Why should we try this new tomato when it could potentially harm us and the environment we live in?
This project is just one out of the many genetically modified food projects currently being worked on and yet it already brings complications and also advantages. Does the advantages of having a shorter breeding time, longer ripening and more money for farmers outweigh the fact that the disadvantages which could harm us, our environment and our economy? Or will it be vice versa and that the project is discontinued due to the possible dangers? These are the different factors that take place and are needed to take in account when deciding whether the Flavr Savr Tomato project should be continued.