The introduction of genetically modified (GM) seeds has had a major impact on U.S. agriculture. In the face of increased availability of biotechnology products, the structure of field crop production has changed significantly. This has led to the adjustment of both the manner in which crops are grown and the inputs used in production.
Sugar beets provide approximately 50% of domestic sugar production (Figure 1). In 2005, glyphosate-resistant sugar beets, also known as Roundup Ready sugar beets (RRSB) were introduced to the U.S. production system. By 2010, nearly 95% of sugar beets produced in the United States were grown from glyphosate resistant seed varieties (USDA APHIS, 2010). Once processed, sugar from genetically modified beets is indistinguishable from sugar from conventional production although there are sometimes distinctions made about source through labeling for final consumers, such as “pure cane sugar” or “Michigan Pioneer Sugar” (Bonnette, 2004).
Like other GM crops, introduction of RRSB has not been without controversy. Challenges to regulation of glyphosateresistant sugar beets are on-going and have fostered increased uncertainty throughout the supply chain and policymaking process. The deregulation of RRSB has led to a legal dispute over the approval of the genetically modified crop. This ongoing dispute has increased uncertainty for the industry and sugar beet production as approval and use has been called into question. Ultimately, outcomes of this case will have implications for adjustments in U.S. sugar production and for the regulatory approval process for GM crops more broadly.