When genetically modified sugar beets were approved by the government last Monday, a judge from the federal district court revoked its approval, stating that the consequences of approving these vegetables for cultivation on a commercial scale have not yet been studied by the Department of Agriculture. These beets could be harmful to the environment, and a thorough study must first be conducted to assure that won’t happen.

Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, have been under a lot of scrutiny from environmentalists and concerned citizens alike, because they feel that the process of modifying these organisms out of their natural process of growth can be harmful to all forms of recipients, including the main consumers such as humans.

Thus, Judge Jeffrey White from the San Francisco Federal District Court has banned the genetically modified beets from being planted. The ban will only be lifted if a report has been made from the Agriculture Department stating all its effects on the environment and giving an approval to plant the crop. This process could take years.

Beets are the major contributors to around 50 percent of the sugar that the United States use, and this decision by the judge could greatly affect the sugar consumption and production around the country.