Modified corn takes root in Mexico

Edging towards Mexico CITY, Mexico, the birthplace of maize, is to use genetically modified varieties, to reduce its dependence on imports, but the wheels rotate slowly held strong opposition under some breeders and environmentalists who to see tribes modified maize as a threat to the local.

Agance France Press/Getty Images is an activist, wear coincide with UN climate a no to transgenic corn banner through the streets of Cancun, Mexico, this week during a demonstration.

Monsanto Co., DuPont Co.'s Pioneer Hi-Bred appliance and Dow Chemical Co, expand Dow AgroSciences before recently completed small controlled experiments in the Northern Mexico with genetically modified corn and government permission to "commercial" phase of the growing area on nearly 500 acres of 35 hectares type search.

Studies began in October 2009, four years after Mexico a 11-year moratorium on genetically modified raised what scientists have desirable added resistance characteristics such as pest - maize or corn.

Many farmers and environmentalists, however, fear, modified corn cross with almost 60 documented native varieties will transform the biology of the grain, a dietary staple with deep cultural significance here race. In contrast, genetically modified cotton, alfalfa and soybeans are widely accepted and grown to nearly 250,000 acres across the country.

"We are the children of corn." "It is our life and we need to protect it," said José Bernardo Magdaleno Velasco, a Venustiano Carranza maize producer in the southern Mexican State of Chiapas, where he grows two native varieties. Mayan legend created the gods people from corn. The plant is used in some local religious rituals.

Two types of genetically modified maize are produced commercially in 16 countries, led by the United States, but almost nowhere their introduction has met resistance it has Mexico.

Protests across the country, have been staged and a coalition of 300 groups led a campaign called "sin Maiz no hay Pais" or "Without corn there is no country."

Open the doors of to genetically modified corn would fear his opponents, contaminate native species such as the Red Xocoyol or black Yautsi depending on foreign companies to increase and may damage, environment and the health of the nation.

Advocates of modified seeds say, you would help Mexico agricultural independence from the United States to win so much as nine million tons of yellow corn annually for livestock feed, most of this genetically modified imported there from where.

In Mexico where the average yield of maize is approximately 8.2 tonnes per hectare large and many subsistence farmers get little more than a tonne per hectare large, could also advocates say the seeds, hunger and the use of harmful pesticides help reduce.

"Is the most important crop from Mexico, maize is where we can have the biggest impact on the rural area", said José Manuel Madero, President of Monsanto Mexico. He said yields in some parts of Mexico have already quadrupled hybrid seed company in the last 60 years, and he thinks its genetically modified corn yields by another 15% could increase to 30%. If the maize sector includes biotechnology, Mexico could in corn in the next 10 years self-sufficiency said Mr Madero. "What is important is that the farmer able to choose the technological package, he wants that be."

Government officials said Mexico's recent experiments with genetically modified corn were successfully the corn herbicides or pests proven resistant.

A decision on moving to the next stage where he is being evaluated the economic benefits of maize is still outstanding.

"It would be sad If…our biodiversity affecting technology here,", Reynaldo Ariel Alvarez said Morales, Director of inter secretarial Commission for biosafety of genetically modified organisms which coordinates the decision-making agencies.

The moratorium on genetically modified maize was introduced in 1998 to the native after Mexico to protect corn, crop comes from a plant called Teocinte. In ten years or so since the tide began to shift, although planting of modified corn, is allowed such as Chiapas and Oaxaca in certain centers of origin and diversity, where dominate almost 60 indigenous varieties.

Proponents say that if imported genetically modified maize already native varieties has contaminated, neither planting of their own country is genetically corn, an argument changed opponent decline.

Several studies including those that native varieties in some off-limit already modified genes from southern areas maize include managing the biodiversity National Council in Mexico and the national Ecology Institute found.

"The only way the native maize in Oaxaca contaminated is, if a manufacturer of Oaxaca [genetically modified maize] and it voluntarily plants." And why would he do that? Because he sees an interest. He see it as ugly. And each producer can do, that right now, "said Fabrice Salamanca, President of Agrobio corn to introduce the new represents the biotech companies are trying."

Some enemies are also concerned about the pollen flow, but scientists say, that even in the best conditions, maize away pollinate other corn and more than a few miles may not. Other scientists say the risk of native corn stems from the fact that native species, query structures to specific regions lose benefits if you mix with genetically modified corn.

If a native variety corn inherits pest resistance of genetically modified, for example, it could prevent that able to develop improvements to its inherent security mechanisms.

Some enemies are also concerned that the modified corn the environment will damage. In some parts of the United States pests have resistance against pest-resistant corn, developed, leads to an increase in the use of pesticides, rather than the intended reduction, and some countries have temporarily banned from the planting of genetically modified maize of environment.

Advocates say improving hybrid grain which has existed in Mexico for 60 find object by regular cross breeding has already blended with native varieties without problems. As corn hybrid cereals with an additional gene inserted from a species is you say genetically modified the difference would be minimal.

View the original article here