Ecobreves – MEXICO: United Against GM Maize

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Jun 14 2010 (IPS) - Farmers organizations and academics from three public universities in Mexico created an alliance to promote native maize and to reject the introduction of genetically modified varieties of this crop. “The cornfield is a millennial inheritance of the indigenous and rural communities of our country, which offers a sustainable option for safe and diverse food production,” Antonio Hernández, leader of the Union of Peoples of Morelos, told Tierramérica.

The alliance, which includes the Autonomous National, the Autonomous Metropolitan and the Autonomous Mexico City Universities of Mexico, is creating a catalogue of the initiatives for protecting the crops and developing social, economic and technological research to benefit the maize farmers.

The government of President Felipe Calderón, from October 2009 to January 2010 granted 24 permits to various companies for experimental cultivation of genetically modified maize. Mexico is considered a cradle of this essential grain.