The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a summary order concluding a long-standing lawsuit over genetically engineered "Roundup Ready" sugar beets. The court decided that previous court rulings in favor of farmers and conservation advocates will remain, including an order requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prepare a rigorous review of the impacts of GM sugar beets.
A number of organizations challenged the USDA approval of GM sugar beets in 2008, arguing that the beets would contaminate related organic and non-GM crops such as table beets and chard. Further, they said that the pesticide-resistant beets would both increase pesticide impacts on the environment and worsen the current epidemic of pesticide-resistant "superweeds".