© Greenpeace/Gustavo Graf
Crop circle action against genetically engineered corn
The Mexican government is likely to authorise the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) corn in Mexico. And until now Mexican citizens, with the help of organisations like Greenpeace
, have managed to prevent agribusiness giants like Monsanto, DuPont and Dow AgroSciences from gaining approval in Mexico for genetically engineered corn.
But this looks like it could change.
The agriculture ministry in Mexico may allow foreign companies to plant genetically engineered corn on 2.4 million hectares of land.
Mexico is the birthplace of corn, what is known as the "centre of origin" where the original genetic pool of worldwide corn is preserved and should be protected from genetic contamination.
It's like a genetic storehouse. If current corn varieties planted on a large scale around the world were affected by a fatal disease, it is essential to be able to go back to the centre of origin and find a variety resistant to that disease. There are risks to our food security if planting of GE corn in Mexico goes ahead. If Mexico is contaminated with GE corn, and if it reduces the existing biodiversity of corn, it might limit our ability to find a suitable replacement.
Recommendations to protect Mexico's corn have come from many quarters. Following an official visit to Mexico, Olivier de Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, recommended in a January 2012 report that the Mexican President should reinstate the moratorium on GE corn, both because of its impact on biodiversity and on farmers' rights.
The Mexican government ignored this recommendation.
Greenpeace Mexico asked its citizens to send an email to the President of Mexico. Over 30,000 have already responded.
Now it is your turn to support the cause and make your voice heard.
Please sign our online petition to the Mexican government against GE corn.
Aleira Lara is the Campaign Coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture at Greenpeace Mexico.