Mexico Votes To Allow GM Corn Trials
16 October 2009 Mexico has approved its first permits for genetically-modified (GM) test crops of corn, according to Independent Online. The agriculture and environment ministries announced the first two permits, but did not name the companies involved or specify where the fields were. They said that 35 permit requests had been made.
The first permits would be applied under controlled conditions, “totally isolated from other crops,” the statement from the ministries said. Mexico is the world’s number one producer of white corn.
Concerned that the GM varieties could contaminate Mexico’s pre-Hispanic varieties of corn, environmentalist group Greenpeace immediately planned to file motions in court to “prevent this environmental crime,” said representative Aleira Lara.
“They’ve ignored the warning from the scientific community about the risk for our country, the centre of origin and genetic diversity of corn, to be contaminated by these kind of organisms,” Lara said.
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