US District Court rules that modified sugar beets, “super beets”, require revised environmental impact statement

In California, the U.S. District Court for the northern district of California ruled that the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service was not in compliance with federal law when it did not prepare an environmental impact statement prior to deregulating genetically modified sugar beets developed by Monsanto to be resistant to the Monsanto herbicide Roundup.

The Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance, Sierra Club, and High Mowing Seeds filed the lawsuit in January 2008, saying that the “superbeets” also promoted “superweeds” that are tolerant to weedkiller, and that the beets become wind-pollinated and inevitably cross-=pollinate with organic beets grown on adjacent lands.

1.1 million acres of Roundup Ready beets were planted in the US in 2009. The court ordered USDA to conduct a more formal assessment of impact, and will also consider other remedies.

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