Mexico, country lost dispute panel with U.S. and Canada over ban on import of genetically modified corn for consumption

teleSUR English

*Sheinbaum´s government intends to guarantee self-sufficiency in corn for human consumption *Constitutional reform to protect white corn avoids future sanctions to the country *Sheinbaum´s government to promote agricultural production programs *Country seeks to advance in white corn self-sufficiency

Transcript

00:00Mexico lost the dispute panel with the United States and Canada 2023 over a decree issued

00:05by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which prohibits the commercialization of genetically

00:10modified corn for human consumption.

00:13Antonio Aranda has the details.

00:18President Claudia Sheinbaum informed that Mexico will continue to defend native corn

00:23after losing the dispute panel with the United States and Canada over the ban on the importation

00:28of transgenic corn for human consumption.

00:33Mexico is intrinsically linked culturally by our origin, by what our native peoples

00:38of yesterday and today are, and the resistance with corn.

00:42Corn is Mexico.

00:43That is why it is said that without corn there is no country.

00:46So protecting Mexico from planting transgenic corn is fundamental.

00:53There are already decrees, but now we want to take it to the Constitution and make it

00:57very clear that in Mexico it is forbidden to plant transgenic corn.

01:08Claudia Sheinbaum explained that one of her government's objectives is to guarantee

01:12self-sufficiency in corn for human consumption, taking care of corn biodiversity.

01:20We are impressed by what is most important for Mexico.

01:29Even though we evidently believe that it has health effects and that this must be decreased,

01:33but the part that is fundamental to protect is the seeding of corn in Mexico.

01:43Mexico is the cradle of corn domestication, which is why it is important to take care

01:48of the original genetic biodiversity, says this specialist.

01:54The Creole corn that is grown mainly in southeastern Mexico only has yields of one to five tons

02:00per hectare.

02:03That is why Mexico defends from 2020, when the decree published by President López Obrador

02:09came out, that the decree was more to prohibit glyphosate, but there was also a section that

02:14did not allow the importation of genetically modified corn.

02:23One consequence of banning the importation and planting of transgenic corn for human

02:28consumption could be the implementation of countervailing duties against Mexico.

02:32However, with the constitutional reform for the protection of white corn, Mexico can avoid

02:38the sanction.

02:42The government has established through President Scheinbaum and the Secretary of Agriculture

02:46that in February a constitutional law initiative will be in the Chamber of Deputies where the

02:51planting of genetically modified corn is prohibited, which does not contravene the treaty with

02:59the United States and Canada, but is a power of Mexico.

03:08In addition to the constitutional reform to protect native corn, Scheinbaum's government

03:12will promote agricultural production programs, provide free fertilizers and increase the

03:17creation of small and medium corn, bean and tomato producers, among other products.

03:25This also seeks to advance self-sufficiency in white corn, of which each Mexican consumes

03:30an average of 196 kilograms per year.

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