In a bold video posted this week on Instagram, Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, declared that she is moving forward with a ban on the growing of genetically modified (GMO) corn in Mexico. In the video, filmed in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Sheinbaum is seen holding dried corn cobs in her hand, announcing that she is sending a motion to Congress to ban the planting of GMOs in the Mexican constitution officially.
In the comment section, chefs, artists, and many individuals who have played key parts in Mexico’s recent reclaiming of heirloom corn have hailed the post as a victory for sustainable agriculture and protecting Mexico’s 68 native corn varieties.
The proponents behind this ban argue that GMO corn has the potential to contaminate traditional crops through cross-pollination, jeopardizing Mexico's rich biodiversity. They have also raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), emphasizing the need for more independent research on their long-term effects.
A study published in 2009 by The National Institute of Health showed that consuming GMO foods may have long-term health consequences such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects. The FDA holds that eating GMO foods has not shown any adverse effects on health.
According to Grupo Consultor de Mercados Agrícolas (GCMA) y del Consejo Nacional de la Tortilla, about 25% of Mexico’s roughly 100,000 tortillería use Maseca, the instant corn flour from Mexico that was proved to be made up of 95% GMO corn and also contains an alarming rate of glyphosate. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified glyphosate, a pesticide used on crops, as “probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).” However, the EPA asserts no convincing evidence that “glyphosate induces mutations in vivo via the oral route.”
This historic decision by Sheinbaum comes on the heels of Mexico losing a key arbitration panel against the U.S. over the allegedly adverse effects of GMO corn on human consumption, which threatened shipments to Mexico, America’s top customer of GMO grain. American farmers hailed that decision as a significant win, given their fears over losing their top American-grown GMO yellow corn consumer. Mexico’s government imported 22.3 million metric tons of U.S.-grown GMO yellow corn during the 2023/24 agricultural season. Lawder reported. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, that's about $4.8 billion worth of corn to Mexico.
The Associated Press reports that the move to at least ban Mexico’s planting of GMO corn is Sheinbaum’s way of fighting back against Mexico losing its war against the import of American-grown GMO corn in Mexico. However, it also illustrates that Mexico does not grow enough non-GMO corn to feed cattle, pork, and chicken feedlots, where the corn is likely being consumed in great numbers.
This ban on the planting of GMOs in Mexico is the latest in the global debate seeking to answer whether GMO foods are essential to feeding the world’s growing population. But the polarizing acceptance and capitalistic repercussions of GMO food remind us of the complexities and ethical considerations that sustain our beloved Taco Life in L.A. and beyond.
