Replies to post #83964 on 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...

[DewDiligence]

MON – From a business standpoint, this news is much ado about nothing. As Biowatch mentioned, nearly all North American production of sugar beets has already switched to a GM crop. It will not switch back.

This lawsuit gives the Luddites something to boast about, but it does not even register on MON’s list of the top-100 things to worry about. Regards, Dew

[DewDiligence]

Court Allows Continued Use of GM Sugarbeets—For Now

[Sugarbeets are a minor crop for MON; for investors, this case is of interest more for getting a read on the current legal/regulatory environment than for ascertaining what MON’s EPS numbers will be.]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Judge-Denies-Injunction-prnews-3403026170.html?x=0&.v=1

›March 16, 2010, 7:02 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS, March 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White denied the motion for a preliminary injunction in the Roundup Ready® sugarbeet case late today. This decision allows growers to continue planting Roundup Ready sugarbeet varieties across the United States this spring.

"This ruling provides clarity that farmers can plant Roundup Ready sugarbeets in 2010," said Steve Welker, Monsanto Company's (NYSE:MON) sugarbeet business manager.

On March 5, Judge White held a hearing to decide if preliminary injunctive relief was necessary or appropriate, pending completion of the remedies process later this summer.

Roundup Ready sugarbeets have been successfully planted in North America for the past four years. This decision allows sugarbeet growers to proceed with planting this year's crop. In the next phase of this case, we look forward to demonstrating that a broad permanent injunction is not appropriate.

Sugarbeet growers have confirmed that Roundup Ready sugarbeets reduce impacts on the environment and make their operations more efficient and productive. Alternative technologies require more applications of pesticides, with greater impacts on the environment and lower productivity on farms.

More than 1 million acres of Roundup Ready sugarbeet varieties have been planted in 10 U.S. states and in two Canadian provinces. In North America last year, roughly 95 percent of the sugarbeet acreage was safely planted with Roundup Ready varieties.

The next court date is scheduled for July 9, 2010 in San Francisco. The Sugar Industry Biotech Council has also posted a statement on the SIBC Website.‹