Mexico's principal news agency cited today the head of the federal governments Intersecretarial Commission on Biodiversity and Genetically Modified Organisms (Intersecretarial here refers to multiple cabinet level Secretariats) as stating that:

Although there have been no studies proving the GMO food occasion harm to human beings, this country will NOT liberate GMO corn seed because we're not certain of the environmental risks involved.

While he also made clear that this de facto moratorium did NOT affect ongoing research now being done by the Mexican scientific community, he did state that of 115 GMO research projects presented, only 2 had been approved.

The note goes on to mention 40,000 hectares of commercial cotton in the north and the inference is that it may well be GMO, along with 100 hectares of experimental soy and continues:

The studies required to liberate transgenic corn could take 4-6 years, during which time the Commission will be working with the legislature in order to develop a regulatory framework for the application of biotechnology.

The Commission itself was created by virtue of a presidential decree and consists of representatives from 6 cabinet level Ministries and authorities pertaining to the National Council of Science and Technology. That organism will realize a risk analysis focusing on the type of gene, the characteristics of the crop, the region where the crop is to be planted and establish mechanisms to avoid the generation of disease resistant organisms (presumably pests).

Since 1943 The Mexican Government and the Rockefeller Foundation established joint corn research programs and in 1966 the International Center for Improving Corn and Wheat (CIMMYT) was created.

They ARE currently studying the genome of both crops in order to generate improved varieties with the help of biotechnology.

So while it's not a fully committed stance, it appears to be a more responsible the one one taken in certain neighboring countries.

Douglas Hinds - CeDeCoR, A.C.
Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y Rural
Asociacion Civil
(Center for Rural and Community Development a Mexican non-profit organization)
Cordoba, Veracruz
Cd. Guzman, Jalisco
Loma Bonita, Oaxaca
& Reynosa, Tamaulipas Mexico

Cuentas arregladas, amistades largas

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