On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White denied granting a ban on producing genetically modified sugar beets, for at least one year, that was sought by environmental organizations, organic producers, as well as food safety groups.As Jeffrey Tomich reports in today's (3-17-10) St.Louis Post-Dispatch, the judge believed that granting the injunction against planting and processing Monsanto Co.'s genetically modified sugar beets this spring would cause '"dramatic and widespread"' damage. Still, Judge White "didn't rule out ordering a permanent ban later this year."
According to Tomich's article, agriculture economists, farmers, and the sugar beet industry all warned of the consequences that could result from implementing such a ban. The reason for this, basically, is that genetically modified sugar beets "account for almost half of the nation's sugar supply," writes Tomich. Removing so much sugar from the market in such a quick manner may cause prices to fluctuate in products that contain sugar, as well as lead to job losses at processing plants.
The sugar beets in question are Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets. The beets are altered so they are able to "withstand applications of glyphosate-based weed killers." Tomich reports that the beets were first planted in 2008, and after a short two years they now account for "95 percent of the nation's 1.2 million-acre crop."
That fact is part of the problem some of the groups, like Earthjustice, whose attorney Paul Achitof represented the plantiffs, are trying to stop--that is, the potential for exposures to and releases of genetically modified materials that can lead to the contamination of non-altered produce. As Karen Gullo reports on the ruling for Business Week online, organic farmers "say cross-pollination from modified sugar beet plants spoils their crops and their livelihood."
This is why organic farmers joined the Washington-based public health group the Center for Food Safety in suing the US Department of Agriculture in 2008, challenging a Bush administration decision five years ago to deregulate the use of seeds "engineered to resist Monsanto's weed killer [.]"
Judge White is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposed permanent ban in July, 2010. In the meantime, Steve Welker of Monsanto believes the ruling '"provides clarity that farmers can plant Roundup Ready sugar beets in 2010."'
To read Jeffrey Tomich's article in the Post-Dispatch, click here.
To read Karen Gullo's article in Business Week, click here.
