BajaNomad

Mexico takes a stand!

BajaLuna - 2-10-2014 at 10:44 AM

After years of deliberation, a Mexico judge has placed an indefinite ban on genetically-engineered corn. Effective immediately as of Oct. 2013

A Federal Judge has ordered Mexico�s Secretary of Agriculture, and SEMARNAT, which is equivalent of the EPA, to immediately �suspend all activities involving the planting of transgenic corn in the country and end the granting of permission for experimental and pilot commercial plantings�.

Giant Biotech companies such as Monsanto, Dupont/Pioneer, and Bayer Crop Science will no longer be able to plant or sell their corn within Mexico's borders. "The Yucatan Times" Oct. 2013

"Mexico eats, sleeps, and breathes corn. With more than 20,000 native varieties of the plant and historically recognized as the �birthplace of corn,� the country is obviously motivated to protect its cultural heritage and biodiversity � both of which are at risk due to cross-contamination from genetically-modified crops".

Corn is a staple food crop in Mexico, intricately intertwined with the country�s cuisine, history, and culture. Authorities are concerned that Monsanto�s genetically modified corn will contaminate native species, and could cause both health and environmental issues.

It just goes to show what a group of people and Farmers can do to make changes! Way to go Mexico!

This is a huge victory for the people of Mexico!

Viva Mexico!

DENNIS - 2-10-2014 at 11:11 AM

Really???
It has, for some time, been my understanding that Mexico imports corn, mainly from the US, to keep up with the daily need for Tortillas.
I can't imagine Mexico without Tortillas just because some judge flexed his muscles.
Maybe this is the "open door" Webers has been waiting for. Fish tacos in white bread. YUMMY

woody with a view - 2-10-2014 at 11:29 AM

i'm glad to see someone stand up to monsanto and the others....

monoloco - 2-10-2014 at 11:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Really???
It has, for some time, been my understanding that Mexico imports corn, mainly from the US, to keep up with the daily need for Tortillas.
I can't imagine Mexico without Tortillas just because some judge flexed his muscles.
Maybe this is the "open door" Webers has been waiting for. Fish tacos in white bread. YUMMY
It sounds like this ruling only affects the growing of GMO corn in Mexico, not the importation of corn or GMO products. The problem with GMO corn is that corn pollen can spread over a wide area, assuring that once it's allowed in, the GMO genes will eventually contaminate land race varieties, making it difficult to maintain pure traditional strains.

DENNIS - 2-10-2014 at 11:54 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
i'm glad to see someone stand up to monsanto and the others....



After rereading the above, I certainly agree that cultivation of GMO products should be theirs to control.
None the less, they may have to import some of it to keep up.



.

[Edited on 2-10-2014 by DENNIS]

micah202 - 2-10-2014 at 12:32 PM

.

...at least they wouldn't be growing it,,,it's a lot less likely to get cross-contamination,,,,,
',,,,,though I'm a bit surprised they don't grow enough for their needs

DENNIS - 2-10-2014 at 12:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by micah202
.

...at least they wouldn't be growing it,,,it's a lot less likely to get cross-contamination,,,,,
',,,,,though I'm a bit surprised they don't grow enough for their needs



Probably cheaper from subsidized farmers in the US.

micah202 - 2-10-2014 at 01:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by micah202
.

...at least they wouldn't be growing it,,,it's a lot less likely to get cross-contamination,,,,,
',,,,,though I'm a bit surprised they don't grow enough for their needs



Probably cheaper from subsidized farmers in the US.


...-crazy-,,but prolly true:no:

monoloco - 2-10-2014 at 02:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by micah202
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by micah202
.

...at least they wouldn't be growing it,,,it's a lot less likely to get cross-contamination,,,,,
',,,,,though I'm a bit surprised they don't grow enough for their needs



Probably cheaper from subsidized farmers in the US.


...-crazy-,,but prolly true:no:
Free trade agreements have made it virtually impossible for corn and grain growers to make a living in Mexico and many other countries, because they have to compete with subsidized US agriculture.

From The NY Times:

Mexico Suffered, and the United States Felt Its Pain

Laura Carlsen
Laura Carlsen is the director of the Americas program at the Center for International Policy.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 24, 2013, 5:11 PM

Nafta is limping toward its 20th anniversary with a beat-up image and a bad track record. Recent polls show that the majority of the U.S. people favors �leaving� or �renegotiating� the model trade agreement.

While much has been said about its impact on U.S. job loss and eroding labor conditions, some of the most severe impacts of Nafta have been felt south of the border.

Corn imports drove down farmers' price, driving millions to migrate north. It lowered labor rights and environmental rules, hurting all workers.
Nafta has cut a path of destruction through Mexico. Since the agreement went into force in 1994, the country�s annual per capita growth flat-lined to an average of just 1.2 percent -- one of the lowest in the hemisphere. Its real wage has declined and unemployment is up.

As heavily subsidized U.S. corn and other staples poured into Mexico, producer prices dropped and small farmers found themselves unable to make a living. Some two million have been forced to leave their farms since Nafta. At the same time, consumer food prices rose, notably the cost of the omnipresent tortilla.

As a result, 20 million Mexicans live in �food poverty�. Twenty-five percent of the population does not have access to basic food and one-fifth of Mexican children suffer from malnutrition. Transnational industrial corridors in rural areas have contaminated rivers and sickened the population and typically, women bear the heaviest impact.

Not all of Mexico�s problems can be laid at Nafta�s doorstep. But many have a direct causal link. The agreement drastically restructured Mexico�s economy and closed off other development paths by prohibiting protective tariffs, support for strategic sectors and financial controls.

Nafta�s failure in Mexico has a direct impact on the United States. Although it has declined recently, jobless Mexicans migrated to the United States at an unprecedented rate of half a million a year after Nafta.

Workers in both countries lose when companies move, when companies threaten to move as leverage in negotiations, and when nations like Mexico lower labor rights and environmental enforcement to attract investment.

Farmers lose when transnational corporations take over the land they supported their families on for generations. Consumers lose with the imposition of a food production model heavy on chemical use, corporate concentration, genetically modified seed and processed foods. Border communities lose when lower environmental standards for investors affect shared ecosystems.

The increase in people living in poverty feeds organized crime recruitment and the breakdown of communities. Increased border activity facilitates smuggling arms and illegal substances.

After promising to renegotiate Nafta for many of these reasons, the Obama administration is now pushing the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Pacific pact, which is a regional Nafta-style trade agreement, would grant even greater privileges to transnational corporations and would exacerbate problems for Mexico and other developing countries.

That�s not good for them, and it�s not good for the United States.