Advantages
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The first advantage of the Flavr Savr tomatoes is that they remain firm even after ripening, which means they could be picked of the vines by farmers and transported to stores after the whole ripening process had been completed (Breuning, 2000). This means farmers would have more time to transport these tomatoes and allow for their farms to be located in remoter areas (Gupta, 2010). Another positive is the fact that artificial ripening of the tomatoes could be avoided and this would allow for the full flavours to be produced, benefitting customers (Pendick, 1992). By avoiding the artificial ripening, it is financially beneficial to the farmers. Another advantage is that customers would also benefit as they could store these tomatoes for longer, therefore having an increased amount of time in which they can be used (Breuning, 2000). So along with the natural flavours created through the full ripening process of the tomatoes, customers would also receive tomatoes with a longer shelf life.
Disadvantages
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A public concern and a factor in the eventual failure of the Flavr Savr tomatoes was that these genetically modified tomatoes could cause unknown effects on the environment and humans who consume them (Gupta, 2010). As genetically modified crops were fairly new in 1994, there was not enough confidence in the testing of these plants and that there was a chance that undesired traits could be produced (Bruening, 2000). For example, these tomatoes may trigger an allergic reaction from someone who may not normally be allergic to tomatoes, or affect the quality of the soil they are grown in (Gupta, 2010). Another disadvantage was the cost of these tomatoes for farmers (Bruening, 2000). The production of the antisense versions of the tomatoes was a lot more expensive for farmers which would financially have a negative effect, especially on poorer tomato farmers (Breuning, 2000). These poorer tomato farmers may not be able to keep up with the bigger producers, who can afford to invest in these new tomatoes. Another negative financial effect is the cost of these tomatoes in grocery stores. Consumers would have to pay more for these tomatoes, as farmers would have to increase prices to keep up with the higher production costs. This would essentially have a disadvantage on consumers who receive a product with possible health risks at a higher cost.
MY VIEWS
I believe that the Flavr Savr tomatoes should still be produced as they give many benefits to customer, such as better quality in taste and flavours. These tomatoes can also be stored and soused after long amounts of time. These are some reasons why the Flavr Savr would improve the current tomato market. However there needs to be a balanced production on normal tomatoes and Flavr Savr tomatoes, as this would give customers a choice in deciding which tomato is more equipped for them. For example, a mother might not choose to buy Flavr Savr tomatoes as they are more expensive and she might have concerns regarding the health risks associated with the genetic modification of these tomatoes. This leads to my last point, which is that these scientists need to perform accurate and thorough testing on these tomatoes to discover any unknown traits or effects the Flavr Savr tomato can have. As more and more tests are taken, the characteristics of these tomatoes can be determined and this would also increase consumer confidence if tests prove no health or environmental hazards linked with the tomatoes. Overall, I believe that the production of Flavr Savr tomatoes is convenient for the customer however restrictions need to be in place to assure a variety of options for customers.