Big Candy Breaks Up With GMO Sugar Beets, Leaves GM Producers in Lurch
Despite a world-wide economic depression, U.S. consumers appear to be fighting back against the power of Big Agri and GMO food corporations. After seizing control of virtually all the means of production of sugar beets, GM food corporations might be getting dealt a blow that resembles a self-imposed checkmate.
Ever since around eight years ago, almost all the sugar beet farmers in the United States started growing GMO sugar beets. These GM beets are genetically modified to tolerate Roundup, aka glyphosate, obviously Monsanto and other Big Ag companies were quite pleased with the status quo. But in the past two years, with an increase in awareness about the dangers of GMOs, consumers have begun to demand another option for their sugar goods, seek out sweets that do not contain GMOs and pressure manufacturers to discontinue using the GMO sugar beets.
Big Ag is not accustomed to changing their behavior based on a consumer. In fact, Big Ag’s motto seems to be “Eat GMOs or starve.” But because of the change in the consumer appetite, manufacturers have, at the very least, seen dollar signs in regards to the non-GMO sugar beet market.
For instance, Hershey’s, one of the largest sugar users in the country, has begun transitioning from GMO sugar beets to sugar cane – a plant that is not currently genetically modified.
Deborah Arcoleo, director of product transparency at the Hershey Company said:
We started reformulating Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s milk chocolate, and Hershey’s milk chocolate with almonds, to move from beet sugar to cane sugar, and that’s complete. Now we’re looking to do that across the rest of our portfolio, to the extent that we can.
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