Activists Protest Genetically-Modified Corn Reuters
go to original September 30, 2012

Demonstrators covered in black paint carry sheaves of corn during a march to commemorate "Dia Nacional del Maiz" (National Corn Day) in Mexico City September 29, 2012. The Mexican non-governmental organisation "Sin Maiz, No hay Pais" (Without corn, there is no Country) commemorated National Corn Day for the third year in a row, as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of the problems of small farmers and to support banning the planting of genetically modified corn in order to protect natural plants from contamination of transgenes, according to the organisation. (Reuters)

Protesters descended on Mexico City's Zocalo plaza on Saturday to denounce the production of genetically-modified corn by large multinational corporations in the Latin American country, widely believed to be the birthplace of the staple grain.

Dragging a large stack of corn through the capital's colonial heart, demonstrators protested recent government approvals of large plantations to produce genetically modified corn in Mexico by foreign agricultural biotechnology corporations.

Fearing the growing competition will drive the country's small corn producers to bankruptcy and put at risk the country's 55 varieties of native corn, critics say the government is destroying domestic production. As corn features heavily in many of Mexico's world-famous dishes, the country has long been hesitant to adopt transgenic maize seeds.

Many consumers are concerned about the health and environmental consequences of a transgenic grain.

"The problem with transgenic corn, like with other transgenic crops, is that there've not been enough studies into on the damage that it does to the human body and the environment," says protester Diana Ivonne Gomez.

With Mexico one of the world's biggest corn producers - more than 20 million tons on average per year - supporters of transgenic corn say Mexico has fallen behind other agricultural powerhouses such as its neighbor the United States where genetically modified seeds are widespread.

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