What are the risks of genetically modified sugar beets?

The wind-pollinated GM sugar beets will inevitably cross-pollinate with related crops being grown in close proximity, contaminating conventional sugar beets and organic chard and table beet crops.

Can sugar beets be genetically modified?

Now all but 5 percent of sugar beet seeds in the U.S. are genetically modified, or GMO. The genetically engineered sugar beet was introduced ten years ago and has allowed farmers to grow more beets on less land, the 2012 U.S. Agricultural Census said.

Why was sugar beets genetically modified?

It’s all because about eight years ago, nearly all the farmers who grow sugar beets in the United States decided to start growing genetically modified versions of their crop. The GMO beets, which can tolerate the weedkiller glyphosate, otherwise known as Roundup, made it easier for them to get rid of weeds.

What happens to the sugar beets once they are flailed?

Once the sugar beets are crushed up, they resemble a wet sawdust that will gradually turn a darker color the longer they sit. Without a total mixed ration, Greshner approximates, with the help of a nutritionist, how much to feed his animals each day.

Is it safe to eat GMO sugar beets?

For a great explanation and photos of the how sugar is extracted from sugar beets, check out the Red River Valley Girls blog. Crop modification has been going on for centuries and the scientific consensus is that genetically modified crops are safe. No foods have been examined more thoroughly than those derived from biotechnology.

Is the sugar beet industry a bad bet?

Genetically Modified Sugar Beets: A Bad Bet (at Th… The US sugar beet industry is threatening to venture into the world of genetically modified (GM) crops, hoping to introduce a new gene-spliced variety by Monsanto as early as spring 2008.

How much of the sugar beet crop is genetically modified?

Today, over 90 percent of the US sugar beet crop is genetically modified. If Judge White’s order in November of 2010 had been carried out and that year’s crop of sugar beets had been destroyed, it would have introduced a new element of risk for agricultural companies choosing to grow GM seeds.

Why was the sugar beets destroyed by Monsanto?

The “Monsanto Protection Act” If Judge White’s order in November of 2010 had been carried out and that year’s crop of sugar beets had been destroyed, it would have introduced a new element of risk for agricultural companies choosing to grow GM seeds.