Beet Sugar Sector ReactsTo Food Labeling Vote

Comments from ASGA President Galen Lee
Editor’s Note: The U.S. beet sugar industry* provided the following press statement on July 14:

Sugarbeet growers and processors applaud the passage of a bipartisan food labeling bill in the U.S. House of Representatives today (July 14) by a vote of 306-117, thus clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by President Obama.
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (S. 764) was approved in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 63-30 on July 7, 2016.
“This bill gives consumers across the country more information than ever before about genetically engineered ingredients in food while still protecting family farmers and small businesses from the costs and confusion of a patch-work of different state labeling mandates,” said Galen Lee, president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and a sugarbeet farmer from New Plymouth, Idaho.  “The food and agriculture community came together like never before to advance a solution that works for consumers and stakeholders up and down the value chain.”

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* The American Sugarbeet Growers Association represents all sugarbeet growers in 11 states. The U.S. Beet Sugar Association represents all beet sugar processing cooperatives.
The Beet Sugar Development Foundation represents all of the research and sugarbeet seed companies, and the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists represents those involved in agronomic and factory research.

  The U.S. beet sugar industry commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX) and Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN) for their leadership in bringing the legislation across its final hurdle in Congress.  Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (Ml) overcame numerous challenges before leading the bill to Senate approval last week; they too have earned the gratitude of sugarbeet farmers and processors and their families in rural communities across the country.

Throughout the debate over GMO labeling, the U.S. beet sugar industry has pointed out that it has been proven multiple times that in the processing of sugar from biotech sugarbeets, all protein and DNA is removed.  The sugar is identical to white sugar produced from conventional sugar-beets, sugarcane or organic sugarcane; thus all of these sugars are GMO-free.  “Biotechnology helps farmers use fewer, safer pesticides and less fuel, reduce greenhouse gasses, conserve water, and decrease soil erosion while producing higher yields on less land.  Sugarbeet farmers overwhelmingly elect to use this technology to grow sugarbeets on their farms,” Galen Lee stated.

“On behalf of America’s beet sugar industry, we urge President Obama to sign this bill into law as soon as it reaches the White House,” Lee added.

Read our entire issue and back issues. Click here.