Almost all of the U.S. sugar beet harvest comes from GMO varieties. At the annual meeting of the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, president Kurt Wickstrom told members to be aware of anti-GMO sentiment among consumers, says Agweek. Candy maker Hershey’s recently announced it would not use GMO sugar in some of its products. Agweek quoted Wickstrom as saying, “The [anti-GMO] threat is real, we don’t know how big it is.” He said the co-op would provide foodmakers with data to show that GMO sugar beets are “a much more sustainable way” to grow sugar than conventional beets and sugar cane. “The co-op is also involving some of its farm wives as spokespeople in a national program to help turn the tide of public opinion,” said Agweek.
Farmers don’t want to go back to conventional varieties of sugar beets, which would take time to develop. Growers at the annual meeting also heard about dietary recommendations to reduce sugar consumption. The FDA is expected to act in early 2016 on proposals to include a line for “added sugars” in the “Nutrition Facts” label on foods.