For decades, the tomato was a victim of its own success. Converted into a global commodity, standardized in shape, color and resistance to transportation, it lost something as basic as it was decisive along the way: flavor.. In the name of productive efficiency, post-harvest life and visual uniformity, genetic diversity, ties to the territory and a deeply rooted food culture were sacrificed. What was once a seasonal crop, linked to the family garden and saved seeds, ended up reduced to a commodity without identity.
The phenomenon is not minor. In Argentina, tomatoes are a massive food: consumption of the fresh product is around 16 kilos per person per year. and national production is close to one million tons. However, that scale did not necessarily translate into quality. “In this process, in which resistance to diseases and post-harvest life was gained, diversity was lost, flavor was flattened, the relationship with seasonality was weakened and something central became invisible: the tomato as a culture and territory,” he explains. María Sance, agricultural engineer, researcher and producer from Mendoza.
For years, Sance has been working to reverse that model. His view, which combines science, countryside and social awareness, is based on a clear premise: you cannot talk about gastronomy without talking about how and where the food is produced. Together with her husband, winemaker Alejandro Vigil, she leads Labrar, an agroecological and regenerative project that puts the soil, the seed and the producer at the center. The objective is not only to obtain better quality tomatoes, but to rebuild more fair, diverse and sustainable agricultural systems over time.
“The tomato is no longer ‘a product’ and is once again a living story“: who grows it, under what conditions, with what practices and what landscape it expresses,” says Sance. On this path, working with creole, old or heirloom varieties is key. Recovering them not only allows us to rediscover more intense and complex flavors, but also to rescue biodiversity, cultural heritage and knowledge transmitted for generations.
The production
Today two productive worlds coexist in the country. Between 60 and 70 percent of the tomato is destined for fresh consumption, while the rest goes to the industry. This division reveals tensions: on the one hand, highly technical and standardized systems, on the other, productions more linked to seasonality, manual handling and local identity. “The agroecological approach changes the entire logic. The tomato once again expresses place and season: aromas, textures and nuances appear that the industrial model erased,” explains the agronomist.
There is also a direct social impact. Artisanal producers face structural challenges: smaller scale, higher costs and greater climate and health risk. Added to this is a purchasing system that pays for volume, but not quality or good practices. “There is an invisibility of the trade. If the countryside is not a viable project, we lose producers, diversity and territories are emptied,” warns Sance. To reverse this, he proposes that the origin once again have real value, with traceability, medium-term agreements and more direct channels between those who produce and those who consume.
The role of the consumer is not minor. Accepting seasonality, visual imperfections and a higher price also implies assuming that each choice has an impact. “Eating better is a concrete way to sustain a productive country,” he summarizes. In that sense, he compares the artisanal tomato with the parcel’s wine: less volume, more character and a public willing to value truth and origin over aesthetics.
at the table
The kitchen then appears as a natural ally. Chefs, restaurants and gastronomic projects that understand the value of the product redefine the tomato as the protagonist. Not only fresh: also in preserves, dehydrated products, ferments, concentrates and flours that allow the season to be extended, reduce waste and add new uses. “The idea is simple: that the tomato does not end up being discarded and that the additional value returns to the origin,” explains Sance.
That approach extends even beyond gastronomy. From Labrar, together with research teams from the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences of the UNCuyo, they investigate lines linked to health, nutrition and innovation. Since 2020, together with Dr. Iris Peralta, Dr. Eliana Vargas and Lic. Lihuén Weaver Monchablon, they have been working on the use of tomato skins (which are very rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants), dehydrated and ground, in the form of flour to incorporate it as an ingredient in different foods, such as snacks, cookies, bread and pasta.
“Currently, with the team of researchers from the Department of Agricultural Industries, we are developing the methodologies for extracting oil from tomato seeds, and its characterization for food and nutraceutical purposes in general,” explains Sance. In cosmetics, paths are opening up from these skin extracts and seed oils that are being studied. And in materials, alternatives appear, which are already being developed in Mendoza, such as the so-called tomato “leather” or other biomaterials, which seek to transform waste into a resource. In the kitchen, there is also a lot to do: tomato flour, dehydrated products, concentrates, different types of preserves and ferments that allow you to extend the season, reduce waste and add new uses.
Ode to tomato
In this framework arises the ¡Del Tomate! festival, which will have a new edition from February 5 to 8, in Mendoza. More than an event, it is the public expression of a productive philosophy. Promoted by Labrar and held at Casa Vigil, the meeting brings together producers, researchers and chefs to celebrate the tomato from science, cuisine, culture and the territory, with clinics, workshops, tastings and collective rituals. “The tomato brings us together to reflect on the origin of food, the value of biodiversity and the productive role of Mendoza as the agricultural heart of the country,” summarizes Sance.
The proposal begins with the “Tomato Clinic”, a training and exchange space that brings together seven conferences given by leaders in production, science and cooking, along with participatory workshops that invite harvesting, sensory analysis, seed exchange and direct contact with producers in a specially curated fair. Tastings and dishes prepared by chefs from Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Peru and Colombia complete an agenda that celebrates the diversity and flavor of tomatoes from multiple perspectives.
One of the most anticipated moments is the “Cooking with Purpose” dinner, a sensory experience in which internationally renowned chefs reinterpret the tomato in all its forms. Donato De Santis, Christophe Krywonis, Tássia Magalhães, Alejandro Ramírez Gómez, Anita Ponce, Manuel Choqque Bravo, Miguel Durango and Iván Azar star in an evening that highlights the abundance and vitality of the fruit.
As a novelty, “El Ritual del Tomate” is added, a community day dedicated to the collective production of salsa, a tradition deeply rooted in Mendoza. Families and visitors will share music, wine and homemade cuisine in an activity that honors memory, collective work and knowledge transmitted from generation to generation.
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