Sugar beet growers don't understand GMO worries

Nearly two-thirds of domestic sugar production comes from sugar beets, which are grown with genetically modified seeds.  A few big food manufacturers, including Hershey’s, are now saying they will use non-GMO cane sugar instead of beet sugar in products. The moves come as firms await the specifics of a new law requiring that they make clear the presence of genetically modified ingredients. Congress recently passed a compromise bill giving firms a host of options as to how they would do so, with options including a barcode that consumers would scan. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law last week.  Meanwhile, sugar beet growers don’t understand why some consumers object to how they farm. “We're using less herbicide and a lot less diesel fuel,” said farmer Bill Hejl in Amenia, North Dakota. “That means profit for my farm, but it also cuts down my carbon footprint.”  Nearly a decade ago, Hejl started using seeds engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup. He’ll never forget a conversation he had back then. It was around harvest time, and he was chatting with a fellow farmer in the Red River Valley where they live. It's a hot spot for sugar beet production.