January 2019 - 6

EDITOR'S LETTER
TAKING STOCK
GMO: OPPORTUNITY
AWAITS?
A
year of the 2010s.
The coming of a new year is always a good time to take stock, to
reflect on challenges and look ahead to new opportunities. We do so
in this issue in taking a look at some of the major
topics either already affecting the potato industry
or that could in the near future.
One of the topics I asked industry leaders
about is GMO - genetically modified organisms.
(Be sure to check out our state of the industry
report on Page 16.)
J.R. Simplot's Innate potato, which now
includes several varieties of russets, was approved
Office 616-887-9008
Managing Editor Zeke Jennings, 616-520-2159
zjennings@greatamericanpublish.com
Contributing Editors Gary Pullano, 616-520-2144
Stephen Kloosterman, 616-520-2152
Digital Content Manager Ana Olvera, 616-520-2171
aolvera@greatamericanpublish.com
nother year is in the books and nearly another decade, as
hard as that is to believe. We've entered 2019 - the final
Mulitmedia Designer Greg Ryan, 616-520-2145
spudproduction@spudman.com
Production Assistant Samantha Orsi, 616-520-2148
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Editorial Board
Randy Hardy, Oakley Farms, Oakley, Idaho
Don Sklarczyk, Sklarczyk Seed Farms, Johannesburg, Mich.
Harry Strohauer, Strohauer Farms, La Salle, Colo.
Robert Thornton, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
Integrated Marketing Andrea Schafer, 616-520-2139
Consultant spudmanads@spudman.com
Editorial Director Lee Dean, 616-520-2150
ldean@greatamericanpublish.com
Creative Director Kristina Howell, 616-520-2168
khowell@greatamericanpublish.com
Zeke Jennings
Managing Editor
by the USDA in 2014. Still, very few of the potatoes grown in the
U.S. are genetically altered, despite the USDA noting they are just as
healthy as non-GMO and they contain no asparagine, which turns
into a carcinogen when the potato is fried.
Innates don't brown or blemish, which leads to less waste and
more efficiency, and they are healthier when fried. So, why aren't we
growing more GMO potatoes?
Well, because the demand just isn't there yet. That's largely because
of public perception, not only in the U.S. but even more so around the
world. GMO has a negative connotation in society, much like the term
" processed. " People think if it's GMO, it's not " all natural " - a nonregulated
label that really is just a marketing ploy.
If research shows GMO potatoes are more efficient, just as healthy -
if not healthier - and harbor no ill effects on soil or the environment,
it will come back to educating the public. That will be part of the
challenge faced by the industry.
It's no secret the Atkins diet and other low-carb, weight-loss fads
have hurt the potato market in recent decades. As nutritional science
advances, more and more people are becoming aware of how healthy
potatoes really are for the human body. It's all about education.
When you're trying to change public perception, there will always
be opposition from folks who will benefit if the perception stays the
same. That's true in pretty much anything.
For more information on developments in gene editing, be sure to
check out Melanie Epp's story on Page 30. There are some interesting
things happening.
On that note, here is to a very happy, healthy and fruitful 2019!
6
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January 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2019
