Page 23 - Breeding and regulatory opportunities, Renaud

General introduction

1.2.2 Broccoli in USA

Consumption of organic foods is partially driven by the perception that

organically grown foods are more nutritious (Saba and Messina, 2003). Several

studies have indicated that organic vegetables and fruits contain higher

concentrations of certain secondary plant metabolites than those produced

conventionally (Asami et al., 2003; Chassy et al., 2004; Brandt et al., 2011),

although there are also studies that show no diferences (Smith-Sprangler

et al, 2012). Broccoli is a relatively abundant source of vitamins, including

provitamin A (primarily beta-carotene, a carotenoid), vitamin C (ascorbate),

and vitamin E (tocopherol) (USDA Nutrient Database, 2011). It is also a

source of phytochemicals that have been associated with health promotion.

Phytochemical groups with reported health activity found in broccoli include

glucosinolates, tocopherols, carotenoids, and lavonoids (Brown et al., 2002;

Kushad et al., 1999; Farnham et al., 2009). Several authors, e.g. Verhoeven et al.

(1996), Keck and Finley (2004) and Here and Büchler (2010), reported that diets

rich in broccoli reduce cancer incidence in humans. A strong case for a cause-

efect association between consumption (dose) and reduction in disease risk

exists for the glucosinolates (anti-cancer), tocopherols (cardiovascular) and

carotenoids (particularly related to eye-health) (Higdon et al., 2007).

Broccoli has developed into a signiicant Brassica crop in organic agriculture

due to market demand and its role in crop rotation. It was grown in the US on

743,088 organic production acres (300,717 ha) and generated $US 47,629,515

(€34,514,185 in sales in 2011 (USDA NASS, 2012). The main organic and

conventional broccoli production areas in the US are California and Arizona

comprising over 90% of the production acreage (USDA ERS, 2011; USDA NASS,

2012). While organic broccoli is in part grown in these primary production

regions, there is also a range of growers distributed throughout the US, located

primarily in northern latitudes, whose farms are subjected to more extreme hot

and cold climatic conditions than are farms in the primary production areas

(Heather et al., 1992; Farnham and Björkman, 2011a, 2011b; Lammerts van

Bueren et al., 2011; Myers et al., 2012).

1.2.3 Organic seed regulation

During this period of market and production growth, the USDA developed

the NOP standard, with which organic growers and processors must comply

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