|Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets|| The genetic engineering of
our agricultural products has created serious environmental
problems and numerous questions about health and safety. The
great majority of genetically engineered ("GE") crops are
engineered to be resistant to a specific weed killer, glyphosate
(known commercially as "Roundup," owned and marketed by
Monsanto). These crops, known as "Roundup Ready," allow farmers
to apply large quantities of glyphosate to their fields without
harming the crop, but this practice accelerates the evolution of
herbicide-resistant "superweeds." Farmers then apply greater and
greater quantities of Roundup to try to kill these weeds, and
when this fails, they use even more toxic herbicides. Also, the
GE crops themselves can cross-pollinate or become mixed with
other related crops nearby, contaminating their conventional or
organic counterparts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture,
through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, approved
for commercial production g