Monsanto is giving some new, non-GMO produce a whirl, making better, tastier lettuce, peppers and melons the old-fashioned way – by crossbreeding nature’s versions of the plants.

Monsanto is giving some new, non-GMO produce a whirl, making better, tastier lettuce, peppers and melons the old-fashioned way – by crossbreeding nature’s versions of the plants.

Given that the whole GMO thing didn’t really turn out as well as they’d planned in terms of consumer enthusiasm, they’ve been focusing more on going back to basics.

Not all the way back, however.

The new veggies will, like the old ones, rely on technology-driven analysis of what every last gene in the plant has to offer and breeding decisions will be made accordingly.

Just to make sure they’re doing it right, they will continue to make GMO versions for the sake of in-lab comparisons, but that’s it.

That they were originally inspired to gravitate towards non-natural means shouldn’t be surprising as their first big product was saccharin, followed by a bevy of chemicals.

Now that they’ve found themselves at the top of the food-production chain, they’re facing a new set of challenges.

And while their genetically modified corn and soy crops remain a huge revenue source, they hope giving people new non-GMO fruits and veggies is what it will take for Monsanto to be popular, then that, according to executive David Starck, is what they’ll strive to do.