Biotech Beets Booted For Now

There’s nothing sweet about an environmental battle over industrial use of genetically altered sugar beets, with a court ruling affecting about one-half of the U.S. sugar supply.

A federal judge revoked the federal government's approval of genetically altered sugar beets until regulators complete a more thorough review of how the scientifically engineered crops affect other food, according to the Associated Press.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White means sugar beet growers won't be able to use the modified seeds after harvesting the biotechnology beets already planted on more than 1 million acres spanning 10 states, from Michigan to Oregon.

More planting won't be allowed until the U.S. Department of Agriculture submits an environmental impact statement which could take two or three years. Meanwhile, the restrictions are likely to cause major problems for sugar beet growers and food processors.

The battle has raged for years over genetically altered food and is likely to escalate as pressures mount to feed the planet’s burgeoning and hungry population, especially in China (with nearly one-fifth of the world’s total population) and India.

The United Nations’ estimate for world population was 6.83 billion in mid-2009, and the projection is 7.94 billion by mid-2025, with most of the Earth’s inhabitants in Asia and Africa, respectively.

While genetically altered food – more robust, disease-resistant and plentiful – seems to be a likely solution to supply demands, the long-term scientific impact on the food chain remains a major concern, especially the potential for undesirable mutations and hybrids.

Organic farmers, food safety advocates and conservation groups contend genetically altered crops such as the sugar beets could share their genes with conventionally grown food, such as chard and table beets.

The same arguments helped persuade another federal judge in San Francisco to stop the planting of genetically altered alfalfa seeds in 2007, pending a full environmental review that still hasn't been completed, the AP reports.

Judge White declined a request to issue an injunction that would have imposed a permanent ban on the biotech beets, which Monsanto Co. developed to resist its popular weed killer, Roundup Ready. Farmers have embraced the technology as a way to lower their costs on labor, fuel and equipment, according to the AP.

The Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance and Sierra Club have been trying to uproot the biotech beets since filing a 2008 lawsuit.

Andrew Kimbrell, the Center for Food Safety's executive director, hailed the sugar beet court decision as a major victory in the fight against genetically engineered crops and chided the Agriculture Department for approving the genetically engineered seeds without a full environmental review.

"Hopefully, the agency will learn that their mandate is to protect farmers, consumers and the environment and not the bottom line of corporations such as Monsanto," Kimball said in a statement.

Monsanto, based in St. Louis, the Department of Agriculture and the American Sugarbeet Growers Association have not yet weighed in about Judge White’s ruling. But all of us need to be concerned about setting precedents because of what's at stake.

The genetically altered sugar beets provide about one-half of the U.S. sugar supply. Some farmers have warned there aren't enough conventional seeds and herbicide to fill the void. The scientific seeds account for about 95 percent of the current sugar beet crop in America, according to the AP.

We at WMB believe government, industry and consumers need to be on the same page when it comes to products and produce that could have long-terms effects on our health and environment, and certainly our wallets.

Our caution with genetically engineered food needs to be tempered with a desire to find and explore solutions in a time-effective manner. The world isn’t about to stop growing, and climate-weather changes always will pose major challenges.

The key is striking the best balance between risks and rewards. Still, Judge White’s sugar beet ruling is no excuse for the U.S. government to drag its feet in studying the potential environmental impact of genetically altered food.

Let’s put our bright and talented scientists to work on addressing a universal problem. The world’s hungry are waiting for the answer!

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