Mexico to Proceed with GM Corn Ban

Mexico’s government cannot make purchases of yellow corn from the United States because it does not want genetically modified (GM) corn, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said last week, amid pressure from its top trade partner over the future of the imports, Reuters reported on November 09.  ‘There’s a market of it, but the government cannot make purchase because we do not want GM.” Lopez Obrador said, citing a lack of scientific investigation into its effects.
Deputy agriculture minister Victor Suarez said yellow corn was used primarily for livestock feed and Mexico would halve its US imports by increasing domestic production when the ban came into effect in 2024.  To make up for the shortfall, the country would be looking at making deals with farmers in other countries to grow non-GM corn and sell it to Mexico, Suarez said.  
Mexico has a controversial presidential decree that seeks to ban genetically modified corn in 2024 and phase out the herbicide glyphosate, found in Roundup.  Like most countries, the overwhelming amount of corn purchases in Mexico are made by private companies, including major commodities traders like Cargill and Bunge.