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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – In a significant development, Mexico’s lower congressional chamber approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that bans the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) corn. This decision may escalate tensions with the United States, coming on the heels of a recent resolution to a prior trade dispute, analysts caution.
The initiative, championed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, follows a ruling by a trade-dispute panel in December that concluded Mexico’s limitations on GM corn—which is primarily imported from the U.S.—constituted a violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
After the ruling, Mexico lifted its restrictions on the importation of GM corn for various uses including human consumption, livestock feed, and industrial purposes.
Historically significant as the origin of modern corn, Mexico had already enforced a ban on the commercial cultivation of GM corn varieties. The government’s position is based on concerns regarding the potential contamination of native corn species. President Sheinbaum has committed to solidifying this prohibition at the constitutional level.
The reform was passed in the lower house with a tally of 409 votes in favor against 69 opposed. It underscores the view of native corn as a “national identity,” effectively instituting a legal ban on GM corn cultivation in Mexico.
The reform text stipulates that “Any other use of genetically modified corn must be evaluated … to be free of threats to the biosecurity, health and biocultural heritage of Mexico and its population.”
The next step for the reform involves a review and final approval in the Senate.
Notably, Mexico imports approximately $5 billion worth of U.S. GM corn annually, predominantly for livestock feed.
Experts believe the current reform may provoke renewed controversy with the U.S., particularly as it addresses more than just cultivation but also the use of GM corn.
The Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), a prominent consultancy in Mexico, expressed that the move to fortify restrictions on GM corn creates considerable “uncertainty” in the bilateral relationship with the United States, which supplies the majority of yellow corn imports aimed at livestock feeding.
“In light of the adverse ruling by the USMCA panel, the persistence in these restrictions is likely to incite retaliatory responses from the U.S. government,” the GCMA highlighted in a recent assessment.
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