No Mass Releases Planned Any Time Soon
Mexico's principal news agency cited today the head of the federal
governments Intersecretarial Commission on Biodiversity and
Genetically Modified Organisms (Intersecretarial here refers to
multiple cabinet level Secretariats) as stating that:
Although there have been no studies proving the GMO food occasion
harm to human beings, this country will NOT liberate GMO corn seed
because we're not certain of the environmental risks involved.
While he also made clear that this de facto moratorium did NOT
affect ongoing research now being done by the Mexican scientific
community, he did state that of 115 GMO research projects presented,
only 2 had been approved.
The note goes on to mention 40,000 hectares of commercial cotton in
the north and the inference is that it may well be GMO, along with
100 hectares of experimental soy and continues:
The studies required to liberate transgenic corn could take 4-6
years, during which time the Commission will be working with the
legislature in order to develop a regulatory framework for the
application of biotechnology.
The Commission itself was created by virtue of a presidential decree
and consists of representatives from 6 cabinet level Ministries and
authorities pertaining to the National Council of Science and
Technology. That organism will realize a risk analysis focusing on
the type of gene, the characteristics of the crop, the region where
the crop is to be planted and establish mechanisms to avoid the
generation of disease resistant organisms (presumably pests).
Since 1943 The Mexican Government and the Rockefeller Foundation
established joint corn research programs and in 1966 the
International Center for Improving Corn and Wheat (CIMMYT) was
created.
They ARE currently studying the genome of both crops in order to
generate improved varieties with the help of biotechnology.
So while it's not a fully committed stance, it appears to be a more
responsible the one one taken in certain neighboring countries.
Douglas Hinds - CeDeCoR, A.C.
Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y Rural, Asociacion Civil
(Center for Rural and Community Development,
a Mexican non-profit organization)
Cordoba, Veracruz; Cd. Guzman, Jalisco; Loma Bonita, Oaxaca
& Reynosa, Tamaulipas Mexico
Cuentas arregladas, amistades largas
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