MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) – Mexico’s main agricultural lobby on Saturday criticized the government’s decision to ban genetically modified corn, while organic growers slowed down the move that should protect smaller farmers.
Mexico “reverses and refuses to issue permits for genetically modified corn seeds to be released into the environment,” said an order issued Thursday night, which also ordered the step out of GMO corn imports by 2024.
Proponents of GMO corn say the ban on domestic cultivation would restrict Mexican farmers ’choices, while a phased in of its introduction would hamper the food chain.
“The 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 the National Farming Council of Mexico.
“On the other hand, the importation of genetically modified grain from the U.S. is critical for many products in the agrifood chain,” said Tamayo, also regional corporate director for Bayer, which owns the agrochemical unit. Monsanto makes Roundup weedkiller and GMO corn designed to survive the use of the poison.
Opponents of genetically modified crops marked the ban.
“This is a huge impact,” said Homero Blas, president of the Mexican Organic Producers Association.
Opponents of GMO crops say they are polluting native varieties of corn and promoting the use of dangerous toxins that endanger public health and harm biodiversity.
Mexico is largely self-sufficient in white corn used to make the country’s main tortillas, but relies on the importation of mostly GMO yellow corn from the United States for livestock feed.
It was unclear whether the order will eliminate GMO corn imported for stock, or whether the rules will apply to corn grown for human consumption.
The rules order the withdrawal by 2024 of the use of the herb glyphosate, used in Roundup, the same year that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador resigns.
Bayer agreed to pay up to $ 10.9 billion to settle nearly 100,000 U.S. lawsuits alleging that Roundup caused cancer.
Reporting by Laura Gottesdiener; Edited by David Gregorio