Mexico’s Proposed GM Corn Ban Sparks North American Trade Turmoil Grace Fang - FoodTank
go to original June 20, 2023

Update: Mexico Imposes 50% Tariff on White Corn Imports Amid Trade Dispute With U.S. And Canada (AP News Wire)



Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador recently proposed an enforcement that would ban the use of genetically modified (GM) corn in the tortilla and masa industry by the end of January 2024. Obrador argues the ban will support the country’s food sovereignty, promote biodiversity, and protect human health.

For the past several years, Mexico’s government has sought to regulate biotechnology to protect native corn species. “We have to take care of health and also protect the native varieties of corn,” says Obrador during a recent speech. According to the President’s decree, the policy is aimed at ensuring food security and biodiversity by preserving diverse maize varieties. It also tries to protect small-scale farmers and their agricultural practices.

The enforcement includes minimally processed corn, defined as the tortilla and masa industry in the decree, but not more processed foods such as oils. Initially, it also included restrictions on GM corn for animal feed and industrial uses but following pushback from the United States, the Mexican government offered to compromise by exempting this category. The offer has since been rejected by the Biden administration.

The measure, while not placing formal restrictions on imports and trade, continues to be challenged by the United States. According to Andrew Brandt, the U.S. Grains Council’s director of trade policy, the proposed ban raises questions about the future of corn production, biosecurity, and trade policy. He states that this ban could cause a “significant market reaction,” creating economic ramifications for farmers.

Agribusiness leaders and lobbyists also assert that the trade restriction, if upheld, could have significant implications for both Mexican and American farmers. The National Corn Growers Association says that this ban would be “catastrophic” for American corn producers, and demands that the U.S. government “stand up for American farmers.”

But Timothy Wise, Senior Advisor on the Future of Food at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, states that this will only minimally impact U.S. farmers. “Banning the use of GM corn in tortillas is a precautionary public health measure that affects a very small number of US farmers,” Wise tells Food Tank.

Read the rest at FoodTank

Related: Canada Joins US in Trade Dispute Hearings Against Mexico’s Proposed Ban on GM Corn (Associated Press)

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