The document discusses issues with tomatoes sold in Boston, which taste bland due to being grown industrially and shipped long distances using ethylene gas. It proposes producing 50% of tomatoes in New England locally by 2060 by supporting local farmers through high-tech solutions. This "Internet of Tomatoes" project would use technology to optimize productivity, health, safety and taste for local farmers while allowing chefs and consumers to evaluate tomato chemistry without destroying samples using a "Tomato Tricorder." The goal is to make Boston a leader in agricultural food technology innovation.

1. What’s the
matter with
tomatoes sold
in Boston?

2. What’s the
matter with
tomatoes sold
in Boston?
They taste like
chalk …

3. What’s the
matter with
tomatoes sold
in Boston?
…because they’re
grown industrially
as little green golf
balls…

4. What’s the
matter with
tomatoes sold
in Boston?
… and low-tech
ethylene gas is
applied on the
way to Boston.

5. Tomatoes are
imported from
weird places.
California
has no water

6. Tomatoes are
imported from
weird places.
Florida has
no soil

7. Tomatoes are
imported from
weird places.
Other tomato regions
of the world have
dubious labor and
environmental
practices

8. We want more locally-produced tomatoes!
The goal:
produce
50% of our
tomatoes
within New
England
by 2060
Brian M. Donohue
Associate Professor of American
Environmental Studies
Brandeis University

9. We want more locally-produced tomatoes!
This requires
supporting
the success
and growth
of local
tomato
farmers

10. Let’s “high-tech” the local
tomato chain together!
RESTAURANTS
AND CHEFS
UNIVERSITY
CAFETERIAS
FOOD
TRUCKS
RETAILERS
TECHNOLOGY

11. Welcome to the Internet of Tomatoes Project!
PRODUCTIVITY
 No disease
 Maximum yield
 Right water
 Right heat
 Right soil
 Right light
 When to harvest
Goal: Reconcile
Productivity and Taste
HEALTHY
 Lycopene
SAFE
 Minimize chemicals
TASTE
 Sweet
 Acid
 Low
water
content
 Salt

12. Our local farmers are going high-tech…
 Monitoring Environmental Conditions

13. Local chefs and consumers are also going high-tech…
 Evaluating Tomato Chemistry
31st Boston
Tomato
Contest

14. We’re building a Star Trek™-like “Tomato Tricorder”
Learn everything you
want to know
about that Tomato…
…without
destroying it!
Flavor Profile
Organic
Analysis

15. Join us to make Boston the hub of the
next technology revolution: Ag-Food-Tech
BEST
FOOD BEST
TECH
BEST
AGRICULTURE