Monsanto Greenpeace's soya bean site American Soybean Association Stratsoy - ' a communication and information system for the U.S. soybean industry' Consumer choice is something few retailers would gainsay, not least when it comes to food. That is why some European supermarkets have committed themselves to ensuring that foods produced using genetic engineering will be labelled as such in their stores. Since soya oil and some protein are used in very many processed foods, these food retailers are faced with a dilemma. The latter, easier option looks the likeliest, despite Greenpeace's widespread protests. The US case that it would be virtually impossible to separate the genetically engineered beans from other varieties routinely is credible.
Farmers growing soya often grow several varieties for the sake of diversity and flexible management.
They do not normally distinguish these for sale, and during the frenzy of harvesting will not want to add to their costs and logistical burdens by making separate small deliveries of some of their beans to grain storage elevators. Elevator operators will also not want to restrict their own capacity utilisation by reserving, say, one silo for a small mound of engineered beans. Furthermore, without a rapid test for engineered beans, they have no way of checking farmers' claims about the beans. However, the US agriculture system is capable of delivering a supply of unaltered beans, if demand is strong enough to accommodate the added costs of organising it. One US soya company has done just this on a very limited scale, by means of early contracts with specific farmers.