The executive vice president of the American Sugar Beet Growers Association says further education on GMO crops is needed.
Luther Markwart said beet growers began using biotechnology seven years ago.
“We began using Roundup Ready sugarbeets in 2008," he said. "Within a couple of years we went to about 95 percent usage across the country. And this year we were 100 percent Roundup Ready sugarbeets.”
He said the transition to biotech sugarbeets has led to better yields and environmental benefits, while producing the same sugar as conventional crops.
“There’s over 27,000 genes in a sugarbeet, and only one was added to make it Roundup Ready-resistant. And then as we processed the sugarbeet into sugar, all of the protein and DNA are removed from the sugar.”
Markwart says from that point in the process, there is absolutely no difference between that sugar and sugar produced from conventional beets or sugarcane.
However, he tells Brownfield there are activists that would like consumers to believe otherwise.
“And I think once people really understand the science and all of the testing done on all of these products, by FDA and private industry, people would understand that these products are completely safe to consume.”
Markwart says more education needs to be done for all genetically modified ag commodities.
Source: www.brownfieldagnews.com