Ranjit1

SmitaRanjit
Dr.BeckyBoesch
HumanNature
ResearchPaper
Due:June3,2014

GMOSugarBeets:USDAAPHISStandpoint
Whatisasugarbeetandwhatisageneticallymodifiedsugarbeet?Sugar
beetsareplantsthatareusedtomakemostofthesugarsweconsumetoday.Infact,
theWillametteValleyinOregonisthecenterforsugarbeetseedproductionandits
actuallythenumberoneproducerforsugarbeetsintheUnitedStates(McGinnis,
Meyer,andSmith16531657).Geneticallymodifiedsugarbeetsaresugarbeetsthat
havebeengeneticallyalteredtomakethemresistanttoherbicides.Genetically
modifiedsugarbeetshavebecomemoreandmorepopularduetotheirmanybenefits
includingreductioninherbicide,diminishinggreenhouseglobalemissionsby
reducingneedsforplowing(MaghariandArdekani)anditsweedcontrol.This
constitutestotheninetyfivepercentofacreagetakenupbyRoundupReady,or
geneticallymodified,sugarbeetsby2009(McGinnis,Meyer,andSmith16531657).
Despitethesebenefits,therearenegativeenvironmentalimpactswiththeuseof
RoundupReadyalongwithdisadvantagesfororganicfarmersandtheircustomers
Ranjit2
whichleadtothenumerouslegalissuesinvolvinggovernmentregulatorssuchasthe
USDAAPHISandorganicfarmers.
Thecurrentconflictsurroundinggeneticallymodifiedsugarbeetsis
crosspollinationwithorganicsugarbeets.Growinggeneticallymodifiedsugarbeets
nearthefarmsoforganicsugarbeetscausescrosspollinationofgeneticallymodified
sugarbeetsandorganicbeets,makingthemnolongerorganic.Foraproducttobe
labeled100%organic,itmustbeproducedwithoutthealterationofthegeneswithin
theproduct(Lemaux).TheWillametteValleyissharedbysugarbeetsalongwithwith
closelyrelatedspecialtyseedcropslikeSwisschardandtablebeet.Tablebeetand
SwisschardseedcropsaregrowninWashingtonandCaliforniawhichincreasesthe
riskofgeneflowamongthesethreesexuallycompatiblecrops(McGinnis,Meyer,and
Smith16531657).Iftheseorganicseedsbecomecontaminatedwithmorethan5%
levelsofpesticidesthattheEPAallows,theycannolongerbesoldas100%organic.
Duetothissituation,organicfarmersarelosingmoneybecausetheyarelabeling
theirproductsasorganicwhentheyrereallynot(Lemaux511559).Thisledto
organicfarmerssuchasFrankMortonandotherorganicseedgroupssuchasthe
CenterforFoodSafetytofilealawsuitagainsttheUSDAforfailingtoconducta
properenvironmentalimpactstatement(EIS)(Hall,Sugarbeetindustryconvertsto
100%GMO,disallowsnonGMOoption).
Ranjit3
AnimalandPlantHealthInspectionService(APHIS)received117petitionsfor
nonregulationfrom1992to2009andoutofthe117,75receivednonregulatedstatus
includingsugarbeets.Althoughnonregulationdoesntmeanthatthetheycansell
thoseproductsfreely,itjustmeansthatitnolongerrequirestheAPHISpermissionto
releasethem(Lemaux529).Therearethreemainfederalagenciesthatregulate
geneticallymodifiedproductstheyare:FoodandDrugAssociation(FDA),
EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),andtheUSDA(UnitedStatesDepartmentof
Agriculture).TheFDAisresponsibleforthelabelingoffoodsfromorganictoGM
(geneticallymodified).TheEPAisresponsibleforevaluatingfoodsafetyand
environmentalissuesassociatedwithnewpesticides.Lastly,APHIS,whichisa
divisionundertheUSDA,isresponsibleforoverseeingtheenvironmentalsafetyof
GE(geneticallyengineered)cropfieldtests.Allthreeoftheseagencieshavethe
rightstoremoveaproductoffthemarketiftheyfindthatitdoesnotmeetthesafety
requirementsfortheconsumersortheenvironment(Lemaux528).
Whatdoesthisnonregulationofsugarbeetsmean?Itmeansthatfarmersand
distributorscanplantRoundupReadysugarbeetswithoutinferenceoftheAPHIS
(APHISFactsheet).Organicfarmerswereunhappywiththisdecisioninthatitmeans
thattheywillbegrowingtheirorganiccropnexttotheGMOcrops.Afterthisincident,
USDAAPHISbegantogetquestionedabouttheirregulatoryeffectiveness(McGinnis,
AtWarOverBiotechCropsinOregon).Thisbroughtonacourtcasebetween,
Ranjit4
CenterforFoodSafety,OrganicSeedAlliance,SierraClub,andHighMowing
OrganicSeedsagainstAPHISquestioningitsdecisiontoderegulateRoundupReady
sugarbeetandthattheAPHISviolatedNEPA(NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct).
TheviolationwasthattheAPHISdidntpreparedanenvironmentalimpactstatement
(EIS)assessinggeneflowtorelatedcultivatedspecies.JudgeWhitedecidedthatthe
RoundupReadysugarbeetseedcropscouldcrosspollinateorganicSwisschardor
tablebeetseedcropsintheWillametteValley(McGinnis,Meyer,andSmith
16531657).ThecourtruledthatAPHISwasrequiredtoprepareanEISbefore
issuingitsfinaldeterminationonwhetherRRsugarbeetshouldhavenonregulated
status(APHISFactsheet).WhatMortonhadtosayaboutthiswasthattheUSDA
didntconsidertheimpactonallthesefarmsandmarketstowherewesellseeds.My
marketshavezerotolerancetoGMOs,(Hall,Sugarbeetindustryconvertsto100%
GMO,disallowsnonGMOoption).
InthefinalEIS,theAPHISevaluatedtheenvironmentalconcernsregarding
RoundupReadysugarbeets,whichincludedgeneflowbetweenRoundupReady
sugarbeetandorganicsugarbeet,tablebeet,Swisschard,andotherwildbeet
varieties.AftertheAPHISconductedthemorethoroughEISandPPRA(PlantPest
RiskAssessment),theyconcludedthattheRoundupReadysugarbeetswereassafe
astraditionallybredsugarbeets(APHISFactsheet).Althoughtheydidenforcea
temporarybanlateron,itwasonlytemporary.
Ranjit5
AlthoughtheUSDAdoesntfindanyissuesscientificallywithRoundupReady
sugarbeets,Ifeelthattheyshouldconsidertheorganicfarmersandtheirviews.
Theyarebeingharmedthemostbecausetheircropisgettingcontaminatedby
geneticallymodifiedcrop.Theycantdoanythingaboutiteitherbecauseofthesize
oftheWillametteValley.Thesugarbeetproducerswantedasixmiledistance
betweentheGmsugarbeetsandtheorganicsugarbeets,inordertokeep
contaminationdownto0.01%.But,Mortonsaysthatthisdistancewouldbe
impossibletoachievebecauseofthesizeoftheWillametteValleytheywould
potentiallyoverlapexistingfarms(Hall,Sugarbeetindustryconvertsto100%GMO,
disallowsnonGMOoption).Iftheircropsgetcontaminated,theylosemoneybecause
theirconsumerswon'tbuyfromthemanymore.Therefore,IthinktheUSDAAPHIS
shouldtakeintoconsiderationtheviewsoftheorganicfarmereventhoughtheirtests
provetobeokaytoderegulateRoundupReadysugarbeets.

WorksCited
"APHISFactsheetBiotechnology."QuestionsandAnswers:Determinationof
NonregulatedStatusforRoundupReady(RR)SugarBeets(2012):12.July
2012.Web.15May2014.
Ranjit6

Maghari,BehrokhM.,andAliM.Ardekani."GeneticallyModifiedFoodsandSocial
Concerns."GeneticallyModifiedFoodsandSocialConcernsJulySept20113.3
(2011):10917.AvicennaJournalofMedicalBiotechnology,July2011.Web.15May
2014.

Hall,Stacey."SugarBeetIndustryConvertsto100%GMO,DisallowsNonGMO
Option."LabelGMOs.N.p.,7June2013.Web.15May2014.

McGinnis,Esther,MaryMeyer,andAlanSmith."SweetandSour:AScientificand
LegalLookatHerbicideTolerantSugarBeet."SweetandSour:AScientificand
LegalLookatHerbicideTolerantSugarBeet.PlantCell,25June2010.Web.

McGinnis,EstherE."AtWarOverBiotechCropsinOregon."14.1(2010):3436.
Web.15May2014.

Lemaux,PeggyG."GeneticallyEngineeredPlantsandFoods:AScientist'sAnalysis
oftheIssues(PartII)."AnnualReviewofPlantBiology.60.(2009):511559.Web.
19May.2014.