Oregon Public Broadcasting

A national faith-based investment group is calling for a ban on genetically-modified beets.  The group is hoping to get the word out just before the spring sugar beet crop is planted. Pete Springer reports.

Oregon and Washington are big sugar beet producers, with the two states' combined production valued at more than $30 million annually.

But now that valuable crop is part of what's driving a national campaign to prevent the use of genetically modified, or GMO, beets.

Leslie Lowe is the director of the Energy & Environment Program at the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility.

Lowe says many GMO crops actually encourage the growth of herbicide and pesticide resistant weeds.

Leslie Lowe: “Farmers are forced to use more toxic pesticides.  It reduces the incentive to use conservation tillage, which is very important for both soil health as well as has impacts for global warming.”

In the U.S., about half of processed sugar comes from sugar beets, and 1.4 percent of that comes from Oregon and Washington.