Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/473131
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MARCH 15, 2015 5 T o hear some critics tell it, the government's decision on a Friday the 13th to deregulate a GMO apple was bad luck for growers and consumers. You could almost see the black cat crossing America's orchards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in February said it would deregulate two apple varieties genetically engineered to resist browning. The contro- versial Arctic Granny and Arctic Golden varieties were developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Summerland, British Columbia. Okanagan Specialty Fruits says the apples are completely safe and would appeal to consumers who want a non-browning apple. Even so, any genetic modification of food is intensely controversial. Some groups fear environmental or health effects, while others fear a consumer backlash that would damage the apple industry. GMO critics want an outright ban on genetic modifications or at least laws that label any GMO foods. Statewide ballot measures to require labeling have failed in Washington State, California, Colorado, and Oregon, but succeeded in Maine and Connecticut, according to a report in National Geographic. Congress is now looking at a national voluntary labeling proposal backed by the GOP. USDA's announcement clears the way for commercial plantings in the United States, meaning it'll be a few years before any Arctic apples would be seen widely in supermarkets. Okanagan President Neal Carter called the USDA approval "a monumental occasion," adding that "we can't wait until they're available for consumers." When news of the USDA decision broke, the story made headlines in all the nation's major news outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. Most of the coverage said little about the science but instead focused on controversy with consumer groups and environmental activists. At the Good Fruit Grower offices, we saw a surge in readership on our website. On our Facebook page, the topic generated a large volume of comments, mainly negative, about the Arctic apple or the government's decision. One grower on Facebook wrote: "This issue is about consumer perception, not sci- ence. No matter how safe GMO technology has been shown to be, consumers don't want it. I'm an apple grower and am completely opposed to this decision by USDA, as it will just point more bloody fingers at a crop that historically has had food safety perception problems. Thanks a lot, USDA." Okanagan Specialty Fruits suggests the controversy will blow over. "Give the marketplace a chance," said the company. "Third-party research suggests that consumers are in favor of genetically modified foods when the modification bene- fits the consumer. Our own consumer research also shows that not only are consumers interested in a non-browning apple, once they learn more about the science behind Arctic apples, their interest in purchasing them increases further." Given the prominence and intensity of coverage of the USDA's decision, it's likely the Arctic apple will continue to be controversial within the apple industry. Critics will keep pressing their case with consumers. All this assumes Okanagan can prove there's a market for the Arctic apple. Some skeptics say you can't market a Granny or Golden that is also GMO. Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington State Apple Commission, offers a thoughtful perspective on the decision. You can find his comments on page 16 in this issue. This commentary first appeared on goodfruit.com, where additional coverage of the USDA-Arctic apple announcement can be found. !$###$" % % # &%&&&%&"!!&&% &&$$""! We ship nationwide, so please call for price and availability! Time TO PLAN! • 2016 Sleepy Eyes • 2018 Tree Needs PAUL TVERGYAK 509-669-0689 ptvergyak@genext.net CONTRACTS for 2015 and beyond! Custom Contracted Apple, Pear, Cherry & Peach Trees ✔TOP QUALITY ✔VIRUS TESTED ✔VERY COMPETITIVE PRICING HIGHEST QUALITY FRUIT TREES ! Call for: • TREES • ROOTSTOCK • INTERSTEMS • BENCH GRAFTS • SLEEPING EYES • ROYALTIES FIRST BITE Casey Corr, Managing Editor Many fear GMO apple will keep consumers away Photo switch Two of the photos accom- panying Bas van den Ende's article "Growing without branches" on page 18 in the February 1 issue were incor- rectly identified. The photos should have been captioned as shown at right. Good Fruit Grower regrets the error. FIGURE 1: The two inner shoots of this pear tree were not cut back, so after 20 months of growth the two inner leaders show disproportionate vigor and size. FIGURE 5: It takes much labor to manipulate branches. These nine- month-old Pink Lady trees on Malling-Merton 106 on Open Tatura are carefully trained to ensure early and high sustainable yields. The branchless multi-leader system is a simpler (and cheaper) alternative. FIGURE 1 FIGURE 5