by
Anastasia B on 7 February 2010
Researchers at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in India have found a surprisingly simple way to extend the shelf life of fresh tomatoes. Most tomatoes will last about 10-15 days before going unappealingly squishy. The enhanced tomatoes last 45 days or more and are firmer than unmodified tomatoes, which I imagine makes for great tomato sandwiches!
Before getting into the how, let’s talk about why this research is important. According to Enhancement of fruit shelf life by suppressing N-glycan processing enzymes in this week’s PNAS, post-harvest fruit and vegetable softening is a big problem, with losses accounting for almost 50% of all produce in developing countries. India, the country that funded the research, and the world’s 2nd largest fruit and vegetable producer, loses 35-40% of produce to softening.
We all know that post-consumer food waste is a big problem, and we can alleviate this somewhat in our homes and by choosing restaurants that try to reduce waste. But there isn’t much we can do about pre-consumer waste – from grain that rots in the silo due to fungus to tomatoes that rot in transit due to ripening. By reducing pre-consumer food waste, we can reduce the number of acres needed to produce the same amount of food. In India, preventing all fruit and vegetable softening would be like reducing the amount of land needed to grow fruits and vegetables by 35-40%!
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by
Karl Haro von Mogel on 13 January 2010
It is time for a major update to the look and functionality of the Biofortified Blog. Prior to the Changemakers contest voting week and discussions, we added an integrated forum to the blog that I’m happy to say is getting well-used. It is helping us get an idea what issues readers want to discuss apart from what’s on the minds of the blog authors. This forum was one of our top priorities to put together, among several that Anastasia and I came up with during a telephone meeting a few months ago. What I would like to do is reiterate the things we would like to add to the blog, and see what other kinds of features readers and users would like to see.
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by
Frank N. Foode on 28 December 2009
Franky the Snowmaize was a jolly happy soul,
With a corncob nose and icicle hair
And two eyes made out of snow.
Franky the Snowmaize is a fairy tale, they say,
He was made to grow and the farmers
Know how he came to life one day.
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by
Karl Haro von Mogel on 4 November 2009
Ladies and gentlemen, plants and animals, I am pleased to announce that Biofortified has been certified as the winner of the Ashoka Changemakers GMO Risk or Rescue? contest!
We have won a $1500 grant which we will use to bring more good stuff to the site, a conversation with Michael Pollan which will be sure to be enlightening for all, and an enhanced social media training session. Specific details of the last two have yet to be worked out, but what was conjecture last week is truly official now!
We will also be featured in a one-page ad in the Stanford Social Innovation Review magazine. Start the presses!
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by
Frank N. Foode on 28 October 2009
Hi everyone, Frank N. Foode here. I have just received word that the Ashoka Changemakers GMO Risk or Rescue contest has been closed. No more votes will be collected. It has been an exciting week for all of us, our supporters, and also our competitors. During the last few days of the final voting week, we gathered an enormous number of votes, and I want to thank all the bloggers out there who supported us by linking to our entry and asking their readers to vote for us.
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