Injunction Levied Against Monsanto's GMO Sugar Beets

Advocates of organic and natural foods posted a small win against biotech giant, Monsanto, this week. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled that no more of the genetically modified seed can be planted until the USDA reviews the effects the GMO beets have on other crops. Monsanto developed the sugar beet seeds to resist the effects of the company's popular chemical weed killer, Round Up. The intent was to save farmers time and money in weeding their crops.

However, several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, say that genetically modified crops have not been studied enough to know if they are safe for human consumption. A similar ban on Monsanto's genetically modified alfalfa was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2009.

The Sugar Industry Biotech Council said in a press release that they will work with the USDA to allow continued GMO seed planting during the review. The concern of the council and other farming organizations is that there may simply not be enough conventionally-grown sugar beet seed to plant a full crop next year. Approximately 50% of refined sugar in the United States comes from sugar beets. Of that amount, almost all has been the Monsanto genetically modified seed since 2008.

The war over genetically modified foods has been raging since the early 1990's when the technology was first brought into commercial food production. Unlike selective breeding- the other prevalent method of modifying food stocks- genetic modification includes the introduction of DNA that is not naturally found in the organism in order to change certain characteristics of that organism. In the past ten years, Monsanto has been at the forefront of GMO technology and has become a huge player in the agricultural commodities business, accounting for much of the sugar beet, corn, soybean and oilseed production in North America and abroad. Monsanto's focus has been on developing crops that will not be affected by the application of Round Up, an herbicide frequently used in commercial vegetable and grain production to keep weed growth in check. The genetically-altered crops do not succumb to the chemical the same way heritage species do. Little testing has been done on the safety of genetically modified plants and the effect they have on both humans and the environment.

The District Court ruling will, in all likelihood, be contested by Monsanto and the future of genetically modified sugar beets is still in question.

Sources:

Judge Revokes USDA Approval of GMO Sugar Beets
NY Times: Judge Revokes Approval