Easier Transportation Transportation cost of fruits and vegetables often make up a large percentage of their retailing price. Some fruits and vegetables needs to be transported with refrigeration, some need to be transport by air, and some, by any means, could not stay fresh for more than a few days. ( e.g. tomatoes and strawberry  ) Fruits and vegetables that are genetically engineered for easier transport do not decompose this fast. They lowered transportation cost as well as minimized wastage due to decomposition  Tomatoes have a short shelf life and can quickly go mouldy. Much of the tomatoes produces are wasted because they are spoiled during the process of transportation or retailing. Twenty years ago, scientists first started to study the ripening of the tomato. They identified and enzyme called pectin, which helped ripening by breaking down the pectin which holds the plant cell walls together, allowing the fruit to soften. By removing the gene, cutting a bit off, and then replacing the gene, they were able to stop the enzyme form working. The altered tomato ripened slower, remained firm, was easy to handle during transport and there was much less wastage.

The picture shows tomatoes that are genetically modified to make them ripen slower.