Sugar Beets Challenged

 Judge weighs in on Roundup proof sugar beets. The New York Times reported that a federal judge has ruled that the government failed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of genetically engineered sugar beets before approving the crop for cultivation in the United States. Which means these beets may be banned. The Idaho Sugarbeet Commission declined to comment on the decision. We do know these genetically engineered sugar beets are immensely popular since they contain a bacterial gene that protects them against Monsanto’s herbicide called Roundup. Duane Grant, a farmer in Rupert, Idaho says that sugarbeet farmers have embraced this technology and that 95 percent of the sugar beets planted this year were genetically modified.

Mr. Grant, who is also the chairman of the Snake River Sugar Company, a grower-owned cooperative, says when weeds can be controlled more easily farmers can save significant amounts of fuel and reduce the degree of soil erosion by reducing the amount of tillage they have to perform. Monsanto was quick to say that the judge found fault not with the safety of Roundup Ready sugar beets, but in the USDA’s process for approving the crop.