MEXICO CITY (appro).- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) published in the Official Gazette of the Federation the presidential decree to establish the transition period for the development and escalation of the gradual substitution of genetically modified corn and glyphosate.
With this last decree, the one published in December 2020, which marked a period from that date and until January 31, 2024, is repealed.
“That, in the case of genetically modified corn intended for industrial use, the decree provides actions to carry out the gradual substitution of that whose industrialization generates products intended for human consumption, in the period from the date of entry into force of the same and until January 31, 2024, consistent with the country’s food self-sufficiency policies and based on sufficiency criteria in the supply of corn grain without glyphosate,” the previous decree indicated.
In the evening edition of the DOF, this Monday, he published the decree that limits the determination only to corn and, for example, canola, soybeans, cotton and other raw materials are not subject to regulation. The government also sought to establish the categorization of corn according to its use, that is, between human food, which will be the dough and the tortilla; and on the other hand they locate maize for fodder and industrialized for human food.
The most recent decree prohibits the use of genetically modified corn for the dough and the tortilla.
“It does not represent any impact on trade or imports, among other reasons, because Mexico is more than self-sufficient in the production of white corn free of GMOs. What it is about is consolidating such sovereignty and food security in a central input in the culture of Mexicans, ”said the federal government.
Regarding genetically modified corn for fodder and industry, the deadline to prohibit its use is eliminated and it is subject to the sufficiency of the supply.
With this objective, the government will establish working groups with the national and international private sector “to achieve an orderly transition.”
The seventh article indicates that “the dependencies and entities of the Federal Public Administration will carry out the actions leading to the effect of carrying out the gradual substitution of genetically modified corn for animal feed and for industrial use for human food.”
The decree adds that “while the substitution referred to in the preceding paragraph is achieved, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks may grant authorizations for genetically modified corn for animal feed and for industrial use for human feeding, being the responsibility of whoever obtains it.” use in Mexico that does not have the destination provided for in section III of the second article of this ordinance.”
In the eighth article, it specifies that the alternatives for the gradual substitution of genetically modified corn for animal feed and for industrial use for human food will be based on supply sufficiency criteria, “in accordance with the country’s food self-sufficiency policies, in accordance with scientific principles and relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations”.
The government undertakes to have scientific studies for which the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) will integrate a research protocol so that this entity and the equivalents of other countries have a study on the consumption of genetically modified corn. modified and possible damage to health.
One of the recitals of the decree and that was included in the one published in December 2020 is that “in recent years, different scientific investigations have alerted that glyphosate has harmful effects on the health of human beings, the environment and biological diversity , and has been identified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
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