Crops fashioned by Man

People immediately took advantage of the tomato's capacity for adaptation. Originally from South America's Andean regions and the Pacific islands, it grows at sea level and at an altitude up to 3300 meters.

This small, round, red fruit, no larger than a cherry, first of all won over the Andean people, who started harvesting it. Then the Aztecs, in what is now Mexico, started growing large fruit tomatoes. During the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors brought it back to Europe.

Deemed at first to be toxic, it was restricted to botanical gardens. At the start of the 20th century, it started appearing on our plates. In 1914, varieties making mechanical growing and harvesting easier started appearing in Florida, which paved the way for the processing industry.

In 1956, Vilmorin created Fournaise, the first commercial hybrid able to make its mark on the global market. In 1986, Hazera launched Daniela, the world's first long shelf life tomato. Today, its various taste and nutritional qualities place it at the top of the list of vegetables that are grown and eaten throughout the world. It comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors and tastes. Over 30% of those produced are used by the processing industry. Demand is increasing and diversifying, which creates a highly dynamic market, one which is ripe for innovations with regard to varieties.

• Flashback over 10,000 years of breeding
• The "de Vilmorin"; 260 years of prestigious history
• A brief history of two crops