INCREASING CONSUMPTION POTENTIAL BY REDUCING LOSS AND WASTE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THROUGH GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

Background and objectives: Fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients and are associated with the reduction of risk from non-communicable diseases. Despite these benefits, there is a gap in consumption. The World Health Organization equated 5.2 million deaths globally in 2013 to inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. There are many contributing factors to the lack of consumption including spoilage, lack of availability, taste and other consumer preferences. Through genetic improvement methods, such as breeding, and improved management practices, these issues are beginning to be addressed, and continue to improve as the science advances. Methods: In this study we assessed the market needs and opportunities for addressing food loss and waste for fruit and vegetable products. Results of our findings on key areas of impact and gaps will be presented. In addition, detailed examples with be provided to illustrate the findings. For example, tomato transportation losses in India are estimated at 40% after harvest due to the lack of cold storage and inadequate infrastructure, which is devastating in a country where nearly half of the children are malnourished and underfed. By using breeding techniques, researchers addressed two contributing factors to the spoilage to tomatoes -- shelf life and the firmness needed to make the journey to market -- while still maintaining flavor and color quality consumers demand. Over a two-year period more than 500 tomato genotypes were evaluated for transportability traits. Analysis was done on the firmness, color, brix and acidity. Results: This led to two tomato hybrids being commercialized. These tomatoes feature a 12-14-day shelf life, much improved over the 5-7-day range before the tomatoes would typically spoil. This has allowed tomatoes to be accessible to almost all of India, rather than just the central regions, close to the farms. Conclusions: By developing strong genetic traits that disable challenges from farm to table, consumers can access the produce that is important for their nutritional needs.