ATLANTA – When it comes to the acceptance of genetically modified fruits and vegetables and other high-tech innovations, “it’s still early days,” said Vonnie Estes, vice president of AgFood Tech Innovation for the International Fresh Produce Association.

But attitudes are changing, she said — as did three experts who share the stage with Estes in an Oct. 17 roundtable, “The State of Science,” at IFPA’s annual Global Produce & Floral Show.

Biotechnology, climate-smart agriculture and integrated pest and pollinator management were among the topics discussed.

“It’s a really exciting time for innovation in produce with new breeding technologies,” said panelist Sarah Davidson Evanega, vice president of business development for Okanagan Specialty Fruits, creators of the Arctic apple. “Over 80% of consumers now want to purchase fruits and vegetables for their nutritional value regardless of the technology (used to create them). We’re in a very different era.”

The Arctic has a super-long 28-day shelf life, which is great for producers, retailers and consumers alike, Evanega said. Reduced pesticide and water use are among the many other benefits of the Arctic and other bioengineered fruits.

Okanagan has had great success with foodservice channels and hopes to replicate that at the retail grocery level, she added.

Del Monte’s Pinkglow pineapple, meanwhile, has value that goes way beyond its Instagrammable color, said Hans Sauter, senior vice president of research and development, Agriculture Services, for Del Monte.

“It’s loaded with Vitamin C and lycopene. Our innovation strategy is to create premium products that connect with consumers and also address nutrition and sustainability, regenerative agriculture” and other issues.

Ohalo Genetics, which has been operating in “stealth mode” for its five years of existence, is now going to market with its bioengineered potato seed, which it’s selling directly to farmers, said Grant Williams, the company’s director of product.

Ohalo uses “boosted breeding” to combine two distinct potato varieties, the result of which increases yields and is more resistant to disease, Williams said.

Such technologies, he said, are crucial in a world facing serious climate-caused food production issues.

“Boosted breeding allows to do more with less,” he said. “We’re at a crisis point. We need to feed more people on less arable farmland. We can now stack more traits together more efficiently and more quickly and create better vaireties that survive in more climates.”

Sauter said producers have to look at the effects climate change is having on pests, diseases and water access, particularly in warmer climates. Bananas, for instance, grow better in alluvial soils in lowland growing areas, which are keenly feeling the effects of higher temperatures.

“We’re working on that as we speak,” he said.

Biotech also will be crucial to help agriculture move away from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and toward microorganisms, Sauter added

“In the future that will have to spread to all crops. There’s no way to achieve net-zero unless we address nitrogen fertilization. We need to bring way more research into this area.”

Within the coming year, Sauter said, Del Monte will have news to share on its progress on the issue.

“There’s way more acceptance now, and the challenges we have today require this technology. As long as we deliver relatable traits to consumers and at the same time benefits to growers, we’ll see way more of this in other crops.”

Evanega agreed.

“We’re working on extending non-browning traits to other tree fruit crops.”

She expects the industry to see a big focus on plant architecture, gene editing and other ways to “change how and where” crops are grown.