Friday, the USDA quietly announced deregulation of Monsanto’s GMO sugarbeets

Red, Green, & Blue ^ | February 6, 2011 | Jeremy Bloom

[JustSurrounded]

The US Department of Agriculture continues its unprecedented give-away to big agriculture monster Monsanto and its Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds. On Friday, while the media was preoccupied with the Superbowl and Egypt’s rioting, the USDA quietly announced it was deregulating Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets – despite a court order.

This move comes just a week after the agency had gone back on its own plan to regulate GMO alfalfa to at least attempt to keep it from contaminating organic farms. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had been floating a plan to limit the area where the GMO crop could be planted, but caved to a storm of pressure from industry, Congressional Republicans (and Monsanto pals like Montana Democrat Max Baucus), and the Obama White House.

[JustSurrounded]

Sugar beets provide about half of the sugar consumed in the United States — and Monsanto controls 95 percent of the sugar beet seed market with its Roundup Ready genes. The company’s stranglehold over the beet market demonstrates its insidious market power. When a federal judge demanded in August 2010 that farmers stop planting Monsanto’s GM beet seeds pending an impact study, farmers quickly found out that virtually no non-GM seed was available. Between 2005, when the USDA first greenlighted GM beets, and 2010, Monsanto had essentially driven all competition out of the market. That August court order roiled the food industry, raising the specter of higher sweetener costs because farmers would be forced to plant fewer beets due to lack of seeds. Rather than seeing this effect as an opportunity to reduce U.S. sweetener consumption, the USDA evidently saw it as a crisis that needed to be addressed by defying the court order.

This makes me very nervous on a number of levels.

[kittymyrib]

Monsanto will have to pay big bucks to the 2012 BO campaign committee in return for this waiver. It’s the “Chicago way”, doncha know.

[ClearCase_guy]

deregulating Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets – despite a court order.

Obama seems to be doing this a lot lately. It's good to be king.

[rockinqsranch]

Sugar prices are skyrocketing. I just bought enough sugar to take us through the Spring, and Summer feeding of the Hummingbirds, Orioles, and House Finches that consume a couple of gallons of syrup a month around here beginning in March, and ending in September. The Finches, and Hummingbirds the rest of the year consume a half gallon per month. $85.00 for 125lbs. of sugar.

Between the government, the weather, foreign usage of sugar for Ethanol I don’t see the prices coming down anytime ever.

[kingpins10]

The gov’t always releases bad news on Friday and good news on Monday.

[Terry Mross]

Is there anywhere one can buy seeds guaranteed not to have been genetically tinkered with?

[Free Vulcan]

Are you looking on a farm or garden level of production? What type are you looking to grow?

[Terry Mross]

Garden level...and the key word is “guaranteed” not to have been tinkered with. Years ago Texas A&M grew a maroon carrot. I’m afraid of what is being put in engineered food.

[Terry Mross]

Monopolies are popping up all over the place. Comcast comes to mind.

[manic4organic]

http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/browse_category.aspx?id=123

[GBA]

Here's something from the weekly FR Gardening thread: Heirloom Seeds.

[JustSurrounded]

A few places are:

Bountiful Gardens http://www.bountifulgardens.org/

Victory Seeds http://www.victoryseeds.com/

Tomatofest http://www.tomatofest.com/

And you can find open pollinated heirloom varieties at

Territorial Seeds http://www.territorialseed.com/
Pinetree Garden https://www.superseeds.com/

I know there are more, but that's a start.

[muawiyah]

The way to reduce US sweetener consumption is to simply cut out starch.

Burn the wheat fields or something ~ just do it.

[Josephat]

Rather than feed them sugar, plant the perennials that they enjoy. The hummers love reds and pinks. Monarda, (Bee Balm) is a favorite. I want to provide for the wildlife, but I don’t want them to be dependent on me and they are very beautiful gracing your garden.

[rockinqsranch]

The RQSR is an arboretum, a botanical garden if you will as it is. We have flowering everything everywhere. Thanks for the thoughts though. We have six two pint feeders going in the late Winter, Spring, and Summer, and two during the Fall, and early Winter.

The majority of the consumption during the six months from Late Winter through Summer is by 100’s of Hooded Orioles up from Mexico mooching at the Hummingbird feeders. They go back to Mexico every September, and return every March.

[Will88]

http://southernexposure.com/

[ridesthemiles]

This administration doesn’t care one little bit about what the laws & the courts say, does it?

How long before they are all in custody & hoping the courts are lenient with them??

[muawiyah]

The courts are not a proper administrative body. We should always concur when the current regime finally caves in to the really great idea to NOT REGULATE a private business activity.

[MsLady]

I wish I could remember where I read this or heard it. It was from a Christian prophet. He said that there would be a diseases that would wipe out the hybrid plants and cause mass starvation. Since they are like mules and can't reproduce, no food. Make sure if you are going to grow anything, you buy heirloom seed, and plants and don't plant any hybrids close by. They cross pollinate and you end up with a plant that can't reproduce.

Monsanto=evil.

[jpsb]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds