Mexico president denies US industry's safety claims for GMOs, Roundup

Caryn Lipson

December 21, 2023

Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies have been able to obtain patents to control the use and distribution of their genetically engineered seeds.

Restrictive license agreements erode farmers' rights to save seed.

Relying on third-party corporations to provide farmers with both GMO seed and chemical inputs such as herbicide makes those farmers beholden to Big Ag, posing a serious threat to farmer sovereignty and to the national food security of any country where they are grown.

Non-GMO Project[fn]“GMO Facts” Non-GMO Project, https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts[/fn]

Mexico's food sovereignty, biodiversity, and citizen’s health at stake

Big Agra and Big Pharma wield enormous power when it comes to the drugs and vaccines given to livestock bred for consumption, many of which are raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Much of the feed animals eat in these operations, including fish raised in fish farms, is not their natural diet but consists mostly of corn and soy – that is, genetically modified (GMO or GM) corn and soy.

The biotech companies that produce herbicides and genetically engineered crop seeds are similarly powerful and work in tandem with Big Agra. They have also captured U.S. government policy, with politicians doing the industry's bidding to, essentially, force their products on other countries that do business or seek to do business with the U.S. This is the situation in which Mexico finds itself; for the last several years it has been at odds with the U.S. over the terms of their free-trade agreement in respect to Mexico’s bans on imports of U.S. GM corn and the nation's use of glyphosate. Mexico has banned GM soy as well.[fn]Rayapura, Aarthi. “Monsanto Loses Permit to Genetically Modify Soybeans in Mexico.” Sustainable Brands, 2014, https://sustainablebrands.com/read/supply-chain/monsanto-loses-permit-to-genetically-modify-soybeans-in-mexico[/fn]

What is at stake for Mexico is its food sovereignty and security, agricultural biodiversity, and its citizen’s health. U.S. intransigence has not only resulted in Mexico relaxing its stance but also in its agreeing to abide by the decisions of a panel that will essentially decide whether or not the country can protect its rights to act in what it considers to be the best interests of its citizens, heritage, and environment.

Whether it wins or loses has implications for all other countries desiring trade with the U.S., and for the safety of the foods we all eat. In this new series, Frontline News reviews the issues involved, the particularity of Mexico’s concerns, and studies detailing long-term health effects of GM crops and glyphosate.

Mexican President considers GMOs and Roundup harmful

According to the U.S., the USMCA (the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, successor to NAFTA – the North American Free Trade Agreement) does not allow Mexico to refuse imports of GM corn or its herbicide - glyphosate (Monsanto’s Roundup). The U.S. government claims they are safe and that there is no scientific basis for refusing them, and alleges that Mexico’s refusal to accept these products is a violation of USMCA.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador does not agree. He believes that GM crops and glyphosate are harmful to health and that GM corn crops would destroy Mexico’s agricultural biodiversity with respect to its heritage. He is intent on limiting the amount of GM corn that can be imported from the U.S. and is phasing out the use of glyphosate.

USMCA disagrees

Due to its allowance of all sorts of genetic modification, the USMCA has been a thorn in Obrador's side since he took office, as Frontline News discussed in, "Will Mexicans lose the tasty tortillas they have eaten for centuries?"

What's next?

Can López Obrador prevail against the U.S.? Will he be able to preserve his country’s heritage and maintain its food security?

In the next installment of this series, Frontline News will look at López Obrador's efforts to protect his nation from the effects of U.S. corporate-driven policy, a policy harmful to citizens of the U.S. and other countries as well.

Please see our previous coverage of Big Agra: