USDA (Illegally) Issues Permits for Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is going all renegade, and not in the good way a la Batman or the A-Team. On September 1st, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it would begin issuing permits to plant genetically engineered (GE) sugar beet seedlings, according to an Earthjustice press release. While that's bad news in general for environmentalists and sustainable foodies, here's the real kicker: The move comes less than a month after a judge ruled that the USDA could not approve GE sugar beets until an environmental impact statement (EIS) was conducted.

No, the USDA didn't speedily investigate GE sugar beets' potential environmental and social-economic impacts. It just basically told Federal District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White to eat GE beets, because the agency is going to do what it wants, when it wants. (USDA secretary Tom Vilsack may or may not have snapped his fingers in the air in a "Z" formation as the agency made its announcement).

The GE beets in question are Monsanto's Roundup Ready variety, seeds that have been genetically modified to resist Roundup, an herbicide. The logic goes that farmers can plant the GE sugar beets, spray Roundup all over their fields to kill off weeds, and beets will stay perfectly healthy. Once planted, the GE beets would join the ranks of Monsanto's Roundup Ready corn, soybeans, and cotton.

I guess it makes sense that the USDA is doing its darndest to dodge GE sugar beets' required EIS. If the agency did, in fact, evaluate the plants' environmental and social-economic impacts, it would likely find that GE sugar beets do more harm than good. Though Roundup Ready corn, soybean, and cotton seeds sprouted up in America's crop fields several years ago, we're just starting to see their huge planetary and economic impacts. For one, weeds are evolving a resistance to Roundup, morphing into virulent "superweeds" that choke out crops. This resistance prompts farmers to use even more chemical pesticides and herbicides on their fields, spewing a slew of toxins into water, soil, and wildlife. Plus, GE crops frequently escape their fields and cross-breed with organic varieties, ruining these plants' natural genetics and threatening the livelihoods of organic farmers. We've seen these scenarios play out time and again with Roundup Ready corn, soy, and cotton — approving GE sugar beets, without conducting an EIS nonetheless, is just totally irresponsible.

"USDA has become a rogue agency in its regulation of biotech crops," Andrew Kimbrell, the Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety, said in a press release. "Despite numerous court opinions, Congressional mandates, and federal investigations, it continues to act illegally. The agency and Secretary Vilsack seem to see their mission as defending Monsanto's bottom line rather than protecting farmers and consumers."

Indeed, this decision just joins a growing pile of evidence that the USDA cares more about supporting big agribusinesses than it does about protecting the planet, farmers, or consumers' health. A coalition of environmental groups including Earthjustice and the Center for Food Safety are considering pursuing legal action against the USDA, and I hope they do. In the meantime, sign our petition reminding the USDA that it has an obligation to conduct thorough environmental impact assessments before issuing permits to plant any biotech crops.