The only GE fruits and vegetables commercially available are virus-resistant papaya and squash, and insect-resistant sweet corn. With their diverse set of insect, disease, and weed pests and the low tolerance for crop injury, fruits and vegetables have traditionally been pesticide-intensive managed crops.
Bt sweet corn captures an estimated 5–10% of the total fresh market sweet corn market in the US. during its first year of commercialization. Combined with Syngenta’s Attribute Cry1Ab sweet corn, it is clear that Bt sweet corn is by far the most successful insect-resistant GE vegetable crop to date.
But the road ahead for Bt sweet corn, at least in the U.S., will have its challenges. Some market chains, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, decided in 2012 not to sell Bt sweet corn. However, Walmart, the world’s largest food retailer, decided to sell Bt sweet corn despite petitions by activists. The marketplace will ultimately make the decision.
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Read full, original article: Bt Sweet Corn: A Commercial Product for the Public Good
