Biodiversity versus transgenic sugar beet: The one euro question

The decision on whether to release transgenic crops in the EU is subject to irreversibility, uncertainty and flexibility. We analyse the case of herbicide-tolerant sugar beet and assess whether the EU's 1998 de facto moratorium on transgenic crops for sugar beet was correct from a cost-benefit perspective, using a real option approach. We show that the decision was correct, providing households on average value the possible annual irreversible costs of herbicide-tolerant sugar beet at €1 or more. On the other hand, the total net private reversible benefits forgone if the de facto moratorium is not lifted are around €169 million per year.