MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) – Mexico’s main agricultural lobby on Saturday criticized the government’s decision to ban genetically modified maize, while organic farmers welcomed the measure that should protect smaller farmers.
Mexico will “revoke and refrain from granting permits for the release of genetically modified corn seeds into the environment,” said a decree issued Thursday night that also provided for the phasing out of GMO corn imports by 2024.
Proponents of GMO corn say a ban on domestic cultivation would limit Mexican farmers’ options, while phasing out its imports could jeopardize the food chain.
“Lack of access to production options puts us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors, such as corn farmers in the United States,” said Laura Tamayo, a spokeswoman for Mexico’s National Council of Agriculture.
“On the other hand, the import of genetically modified grains from the US is essential for many products in the agri-food chain,” added Tamayo, also regional corporate director for Bayer, whose agrochemical unit Monsanto makes Weedkiller Roundup and GMO corn designed to survive the application. pesticide.
Opponents of genetically modified crops celebrated the ban.
“It’s a huge victory,” said Homero Blas, head of Mexico’s Society of Organic Producers.
Opponents of GMO crops say they contaminate native old maize varieties and encourage the use of dangerous pesticides that endanger public health and harm biodiversity.
Mexico is largely self-sufficient in the white corn used to make the country’s basic tortillas, but it depends on imports of GMO yellow corn from the United States for animal feed.
It was unclear whether the decree would phase out imported GMO maize for animals or whether the rules would apply only to maize grown for human consumption.
The rules require the phasing out of the use of glyphosate herbicide, used in Roundup, in 2024, the same year that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leaves office.
Bayer has agreed to pay up to $ 10.9 billion to settle nearly 100,000 U.S. lawsuits, claiming Roundup caused cancer.
Reporting by Laura Gottesdiener; Mountainous of David Gregorio