He decree mexican what prohibits the use of transgenic corn for human consumption will be supported by studies carried out by the cofepris
The Mexican government has announced a new decree to veto the use of transgenic corn, with the aim of preserving biocultural heritage and promoting the preservation of agroecological practices in our peasant communities, which has a direct impact on marketing with the United States.
That is why, the Ministry of Economy of Mexico announced that the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) will carry out studies to explain the possible negative impacts on health of the use of corn and for this, they will have the support of international health agencies.
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Is joint investigation between Cofepris and international health agencieson transgenic maize, is made so that this also complies with the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (TMEC), which establishes that phytosanitary decisions must be based on scientific studies.
New decree against transgenic corn
This Mexican food security policy was clarified by the Ministry of Economy to avoid possible confusion and ensure that it does not affect trade, since the country is self-sufficient in the production of GM-free white corn.
The new decree specifies that it does not apply to canola, soybeans, cotton or other raw materials. In addition, it establishes a categorization of corn according to its use: human food (dough and tortilla), fodder and industrialized for human food.
Likewise, the decree prohibits the use of genetically modified corn for dough and tortillas, while for fodder and industry the deadline to prohibit its use was eliminated, subject to the existence of sufficiency in the supply. The transition will be dealt with through working groups.
Similarly, the Ministry of Economy clarified that to avoid any type of controversy, it will have the collaboration of Cofepris, health agencies from other countries, and work groups with the national and international private sector.
These entities will be in charge of carrying out scientific studies on the possible impacts on people’s health of genetically modified corn.
However, the new US agricultural trade chief, Doug McKalip, has given Mexico just a couple of days to respond to a request from Washington to explain the scientific rationale for the ban on GM corn and glyphosate.
This with the objective of verifying if the Mexican decision conforms to the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (TMEC), which establishes that phytosanitary decisions must be based on scientific evidence.
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