In order to protect the health of its citizens and the country's native corn varieties, Mexico** has decided to explicitly ban the import of genetically modified grains from the United States from 2024. The decision is part of a decree signed by López Obrador in 2020.
Mexico is the number one export destination for U.S. corn.
Mexico has been cultivated since nearly 10,000 years ago, claiming the seeds threaten agricultural traditions and Mexican cultural identity, according to a National Geographic publication last week.
Another cause of concern is glyphosate, a pesticide used on U.S. crops, which, according to scientists, can cause cancer. This substance is found in Bayer's Roundup.
On the other hand, the United States disputed this decision. In addition to defending the product, they claimed that the ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) violated the agreement between the two countries and that Mexico did not provide scientific evidence about the quality of the product.
In 2022, Mexico's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Victor Suárez, said in an interview that the reduction in imported corn would be compensated for by increasing domestic production and seeking agreements with new U.S. producers, as well as Argentine and Brazilian producers.
The Food and Drug Administration, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says genetically modified foods are "carefully studied before being released to the public**, and studies have shown that they are as safe as non-genetically modified foods."
According to National Geographic, most of the corn imported from the U.S. will be used for animal feed and industry, not for diet.
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