Biotech Values

[Biowatch]

Re: Judge rejects genetically modified sugar beets

This is likely to go on for years.

...it should have assessed the consequences from the likely spread of the genetically engineered trait to other sugar beets or to the related crops of Swiss chard and red table beets....
industry surveys suggested that 95 percent of the sugar beets planted this year were genetically modified.

That implies there are few non-modified sugar beets out there. It will cause a radical shift if 95% of the crops have to be changed immediately.

It might be a concern to "organic" farmers trying to grow "natural" products. Corn pollination is carried out by the wind, so can spread readily. Ditto for beets.

easier weed control allowed farmers to reduce tillage, which in turn saved fuel and fertilizer and reduced erosion.

Reducing tillage reduces sediment running into streams and oceans, keeping them much healthier for fish and seafood. The Chesapeake Bay used to produce crabs and oysters in abundance, now it's choked with sediment in runoff, killing the seafood. Ironically, the Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish), the most "organic" farmers around, rely on deep tillage to bury weeds before the next season's planting. The freshly turned dirt contributes greatly to sediment in streams leading to the Chesapeake.

food companies had accepted sugar from the biotech beets. “They’ve been a big nonevent in terms of customer acceptance,”

Sugar is one of the purest substances you can buy in a store. The source doesn't matter. Brown sugar is less pure, but it's typically made by adding sugar cane molasses to pure sugar. I assume they're worried about the environmental impact on flora and fauna. For example, genetically modified corn pollen may kill Monarch butterflies or caterpillars.

Presumably it can cross-pollinate with beets that people eat, which spoils the "natural" claim for organic farmers.

Glyphosate is a relatively benign weed killer. It breaks down quickly in rain water

Trade-offs...