Even if you don’t farm or know anyone who does, a current sugar beet issue now planted firmly in the California courts is likely to affect you and your family. After all, sugar beets grown in the Red River Valley are the source of more than 25 percent of the sugar distributed throughout the USA.
According to the University of Minnesota, the state ranks first annually in sugar beet acreage – 460,000. North Dakota ranks third nationally with 260,000 acres in sugar beets each year. Statistics like those made this area the nation’s “Sugar Bowl” in 1974. Annually, there is a $1.1 billion direct economic impact and a $2 billion secondary economic impact as a result of the sugar industry in these two states.
How many people know that 95 percent of the sugar beets grown in the Red River Valley and throughout the country come from genetically engineered (GE) seeds? How many care? As long as we get our sugar, right?
But the litigation pending in California may impact this year’s sugar-growing capacity. In 2005, a lawsuit was brought by the Center for Food Safety and other organic groups against the USDA, challenging the deregulation of Roundup Ready sugar beets. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was reviewed by Judge Jeffrey White. (See sidebar for lawsuit timeline.)
The organic groups feel deregulated RRSB will contaminate conventional seed, lead to less seed diversity and cause the proliferation of Roundup-resistant weeds.
Growers believe the seed companies will have sufficient amounts of what farmers need to grow, whether it be GE seed, as in Roundup Ready sugar beets (RRSB) or the conventional seed that has kept the industry strong for decades. But is there actually enough conventional seed?
“We will go to conventional seed if we need to – they are making arrangements for it now; I think it will be around,” says Buxton (N.D.) farmer Greg Abentroth. “It is being done through the seed companies and American Crystal [Sugar]. Oh, there will be conventional seed planted; there’s no doubt. I am not worried about it either way; if we can plant RRSB plants, we will. If not, we will plant conventional seed.”
Yet, according to an Oct. 18, 2010, Wall Street Journal article titled “Ruling Imperils Sugar Production,” the U.S. sugar production will be cut 20 percent if farmers are banned from using RRSB.
In an interview with the Red River Farm Network last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack offered an update on the RRSB litigation: “We anticipate and expect announcements very, very soon in what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do to make sure that sugar beet growers are in a position to plant what they need to plant. We’re also working, obviously, with other crops, and we’ve had very concrete, positive conversations and dialogue between the various interests in agriculture. I’ve been very impressed with the willingness of folks [to] step up and get into a room and be reasonable and listen to one another.”
Vilsack thinks there is a shared desire for all types of agriculture to be successful. He is encouraging more dialogue on the biotechnology issue. Regarding RRSB, Vilsack hopes an announcement will be made within the week. Vilsack also emphasizes that the Roundup Ready alfalfa case is not a precedent for future decisions because all crops are different.
So, what’s the fuss about Roundup Ready crops? Paige Tomaselli, staff attorney from the Center for Food Safety, founded in 1997, said, “RRA (Roundup Ready alfalfa) can cause biological pollution, crossing with conventional and organic alfalfa crops. GE crops also increase pesticide use and proliferate glyphosate (RoundUp)-resistant weeds. Specifically with alfalfa, right now only 7 percent of alfalfa farmers use pesticides. Introducing an herbicide-tolerant crop will [significantly] increase pesticide use on alfalfa crops.”
A 55-page Amicus brief was filed Jan. 26, 2011, by CFS et al., claiming harm to the organic production of food by the “continued unlawful release of … GE seeds into the environment … in this case, RRSB seeds and crops …”
President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association in Washington, D.C., Luther Markwart, states that as RRSB is under litigation, he is not authorized to speak about it. When asked if the farmers are concerned about beet seed shortages, Markwart replied, “Not on the Roundup varieties – I don’t know what the planters have. That seed has to be processed, and I don’t know what’s been processed, but likely there would be adequate Roundup Ready seed, but I don’t have factual information – no one gives me that information.”
Sugar beets are a biennial crop, which means they produce seed in their second year, resulting in a two-year waiting period for seed production.
In a report on Minnesota Public Radio on Dec. 2, 2010, David Berg, president of American Crystal Sugar, was quoted as saying, “The only thing I know for certain is that as of today, Roundup Ready seed is illegal. So if you’re planning to plant Roundup Ready seed, that’s not a viable choice. You have to find an alternative seed source or just wait.” Berg also expressed concern about an herbicide shortage if farmers have to plant non-GE seeds. Sugar beet organizations are trying to find all the seeds and chemicals possible for spring planting.
A few quick calls to sugar beet seed companies leave one to speculate about the readiness of the industry. Many beet seed salespeople won’t talk because of the pending litigation. The ones that do talk “off the record” will only say that it’s a crap shoot. It seems that no one is going to know for sure until the litigation is settled or spring planting time arrives – whichever comes first.