A North Carolina startup called Pairwise is using the gene-editing technology called CRISPR to breed seedless, thornless blackberries and other crops in just a few years. The aim is to create higher-yielding plants that require less water and fewer chemicals.

The promise of modern genomics lies in solving multiple problems at once with speed and precision. Pairwise’s triple-threat berries won’t be in US groceries before 2030, but they could help jump-start a new agricultural revolution. The company is also working on peaches without pits, row crops resistant to diseases, fruit and nut trees that produce their first harvest within a year or two, and more.

Unlike genetically modified organisms, CRISPR seeds haven’t faced major roadblocks from regulators or intense hostility from the public so far. However, the rise of the Make America Healthy Again movement is just one symptom of growing consumer discomfort with edible technology. Given the lingering unpopularity of GMOs despite decades of scientific evidence that they don't harm human health or the environment, even industry analysts who consider CRISPR safer and more useful are reluctant to predict its success.

The stakes are high. In the next few decades, farmers will need to produce much more food to feed a growing population while using less land and doing less damage to nature. Pairwise believes their product has a chance to break through because CRISPR can help farmers grow healthier and more abundant food in a warming world with significantly less deforestation, agri-chemicals or greenhouse gas emissions.

Pairwise’s CEO Tom Adams says one change can fundamentally transform how a food is grown. Then we can make more changes that make the food even better. It's exciting to see how CRISPR could change farming and agriculture in unexpected ways, like cherry bushes that produce more fruit with less land compared to standard cherry trees.