How the accidental finding of genetically modified corn in the highlands of Mexico set off a twenty-year battle over scientific methods, academic freedom, Indigenous rights, environmental law and international trade.
SEASON 01: EPISODE 05:
Made of Corn
When genetically modified corn was found in the highlands of Mexico, Indigenous campesino groups took to the streets to protect their cultural heritage, setting off a 20-year legal saga. Part two of our series on genetically modified maize.
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Guests
Neon Cruz farms corn as well as coffee and sugar cane in the area round Santa Gertrudis.
Carlos Enriquez and his son farm multiple milpas around Santa Gertrudis.
Aldo Gonzalez is an Indigenous rights and maize activist with the Union of Organizations of the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca (UNOSJO).
Carlos Hernandez has been farming in Oaxaca’s Sierra Juarez for more than 50 years and works on Indigenous rights and corn issues with UNOSJO.
Margarito Hernandez Sebastian has been farming in Oaxaca’s Sierra Juarez for more than 30 years.
Pablo Uribe Malagamba is an environmental lawyer and founding partner of the law firm Asesoria Juridica Ambiental in Mexico City.
Veronica Villa is the program director for ETC Group Mexico.
David Quist is formerly of the Arctic University of Norway, and now runs Hrímnir ramen in Oslo
KEY REFERENCES
- Acedo, Alfredo . Monsanto Uses Latest Food Crisis to Push Transgenic Corn in Mexico . Institute for Policy Studies, Washington DC April 14, 2011
- Agapito-Tenfen, Sarah et al. " Transgene flow in Mexican maize revisited: Socio-biological analysis across two contrasting farmer communities and seed management systems ." Ecology and evolution vol. 7.22 9461-9472. 11 Oct. 2017, doi: 10.1002 / ece3.3415
- Political Animal. " Permission for genetically modified soybeans revoked " December 24, 2017
- Barta, A. et al. “GMOs, who needs them? ”Parliamentary Group of the PRD in the LIX Legislature of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of the Union Av. Congreso de la Unión, no. 66 Col. El Parque 15969 México, DF February 2005.
- Becker, Elizabeth. US Corn Subsidies Said to Damage Mexico ". New York Times August 27, 2003
- Bernstein, Steven. "Liberal Environmentalism and Global Environmental Governance", Global Environmental Politics, 2,3 (2002): 12.
- Boehmer Christiansen, Sonja. "The Precautionary Principle in Germany: Enabling Government", in O'Riordan, T. and J. Cameron eds. Interpreting the Precautionary Principle , 1994.
- Burns, Melinda. “ The DNA of Corn: Mexican Peasants VS. Techno-Science ”. Pacific Standard. June 26, 2008 Carroll, Sean B. “ T racking the Ancestry of Corn Back 9,000 Years. ”New York Times. May 24, 2010
- Commission for Environmental Cooperation Secretariat Report. Maize and Biodiversity: The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico . 2004 ISBN 2-923358-00-7
- Del Castillo, Raquel. “ What is the new law that protects native corn about? " The universal. April 25, 2020
- Dalton, R. Mexico's transgenic maize under fire . Nature 462, 404 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/462404a
- EFE, " Court maintains suspension for planting of transgenic corn in Mexico ." November 25, 2017. Enciso, Angelica.
- “They lift a de facto moratorium on the planting of transgenic corn, warns Greenpeace. ” La Jornada. November 12, 2003
- Enciso, Angélica and Castillo, Gustavo. “ The SCJN rejects a protection from Monsanto on transgenic corn ”. The Day. May 12, 2017, p. 38
- ETC Group, “Conquering Nature ... and Sidestepping the Debate over Biotech and Biodiversity”. April 3, 2002
- Exhibition Without corn there is no country. 2003. National Museum of Popular Cultures (MNCP), Mexico City. Video. 32:40 minutes.
- Flowers, Efren. Mexico was flooded in 30 years with GMOs from monopolies, and today only 4 states are "free . " However. March 5, 2018
- Forson, PW and Counihan, C. Taking Food Public: Redefining Foodways in a Changing World. Routledge, 2013
- Ford Runge, C and Jackson, Lee Ann. "Labeling, Trade and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): A Proposed Solution ". Working Paper WP99-4, Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy, University of Minnesota. November 1999
- Foyer, Jean and Bonneuil, Christophe. Mexican Biosafety as a “performance of seriousness”: Distancing and the Transgenic “contamination” of Mexican Maize. 2014. Ffhalshs-01092208f
- Garcia Ruiz, Mayra Teresa. Knapp, Aaron N. & Garcia-Ruiz Hernan (2018) Profile of genetically modified plants authorized in Mexico , GM Crops & Food, 9: 3, 152-168, DOI: 10.1080 / 21645698.2018.1507601
- Government of Mexico. LAW OF BIOSECURITY OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS . Nov 18, 2005. And REGULATION OF THE LAW OF BIOSECURITY OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS , 06-03-09
- Government of Mexico, Presidential Decree [Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador]. DECREE by which the Federal Law for the Promotion and Protection of Native Corn is issued. April 13, 2020 http://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5591534&fecha=13/04/2020
- GRAIN. " Mexico: The dangers of industrial corn and its processed edible products ". March 20, 2018
- Greenpeace Mexico. Video. " Action from the Senate: Transgenic corn, treason against the Nation ." 25 Apr 2013
- E. González-Ortega, A. Piñeyro-Nelson, E. Gómez-Hernández, E. Monterrubio-Vázquez, M. Arleo, J. Dávila-Velderrain, C. Martínez-Debat & ER Álvarez-Buylla (2017) : Pervasive presence of transgenes and glyphosate in maize-derived food in Mexico, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems , DOI: 10.1080 / 21683565.2017.1372841
- Government of Mexico. Regulation of the law of biosafety of genetically modified organisms . March 19, 2008. Chapter I, Article II, XI and Chapter II, Article IX, IV
- KARI / CIMMYT IRMA Project. "Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) Project Annual Report 2002." IRMA Project Document No. 10. P 74 Massieu Trigo, Yolanda. “GMO crops and foods in Mexico. The debate, the actors and the socio-political forces. " Argumentos (Mex.) Vol.22 no.59 Mexico Jan./Apr. 2009. ISSN 0187-5795 http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0187-57952009000100008
- Mercer, KL, Wainwright, J., 2008. Gene flow from transgenic maize to landraces in Mexico: an analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 123, 109–115.
- Moreno-Sáenz, Lucero Ivone, González-Andrade, Salvador, & Matus-Gardea, Jaime Arturo. (2016). Mexico's dependence on corn imports in the NAFTA era. Mexican Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 7 (1), 115-126. Retrieved on May 12, 2020
- Munoz Rubio, Julio. Transgenic Foods: Science, Environment and Market: An Open Debate . Siglo XXI, 2004 M10 30. ISBN 968-23-2544-7
- Nájar, Alberto. “ Controversy over transgenic corn in Mexico . ”BBC World. October 23, 2009
- O'Leary, Matthew. " Maize: From Mexico to the world " CIMMYT, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. May 20, 2016
- Ortega-Villegas, María N., Zizumbo-Villarreal, Lilia, Monterroso-Salvatierra, Neptalí, & Hernández-Lara, Oliver G .. (2018). L eyes and transgenic corn seed. Analysis from the co-production between science and economic-political regimes in Mexico . Agriculture, Society and Development , 15 (3), 413-442.
- Oxfam. Dumping Without Borders: How US agricultural policies are destroying the livelihoods of Mexican corn farmers . Briefing paper. August 2003 Percival, Robert V. Who's Afraid of the Precautionary Principle? , Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 21 (2006).
- Pineyro-Nelson, A. et al. 2009. Transgenes in Mexican maize: molecular evidence and methodological considerations for GMO detection in landrace populations . Molecular Ecology , 18 (4), pp. 750-761.
- Quist, David. and Ignacio H. Chapela. Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico , Nature, 414 (November 2001): 541-543.
- Ramírez Cuevas, Jesús “ His flesh and heart of corn ”. The Day of the field . No. 121. December 21, 2017
- Network in Defense of Corn. Massive international protest over the transgenic contamination of corn in Mexico.
- ETC Group. November 20, 2003 Political Animal Writing. " Greenpeace activist protests" through the air "in the Senate ." April 25, 2013Political Animal Writing . "
- Judge suspends issuance of transgenic corn planting permits in Mexico " October 11, 2013. National Agrarian Registry. Technical Note on Social Property . 2017
- Ribeiro, Silvia. "Diconsa, transgenic corn and autonomy ”. Network in Defense of Corn . February 1, 2012
- Robinson Publicity. " Victor Robinson: Lila Downs and Pintor Francisco Toledo against transgenic corn 1 ". YouTube video, 0:36. July 1, 2014
- Rodriguez, Oscar. " Francisco Toledo and Rubén Albarrán against transgenic corn ." Millennium. May 24, 2014.
- Rodríguez-Arévalo, I., Mattana, E., García, L. et al. Conserving seeds of useful wild plants in Mexico: main issues and recommendations. Genet Resour Crop Evol 64, 1141–1190 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-016-0427-7 SAGARPA.
- San Vicente Tello, A and Morales Hernández, J. " The collective lawsuit against the planting of transgenic corn: citizenship and food sovereignty " in From said to fact: opacity, authoritarianism and half-truths. Plural Analysis. 2015
- Solleiro Rebolledo, JL Biotechnology for sustainable agricultural development. In J. Muñoz Rubio: Transgenic Foods / Transgenic Food: Science, environment and market: An open debate 149-160. XXI century
- Summary Recor d. CEC Joint Public Advisory Committee Session No. 04-0. March 12, 2004. Oaxaca, Mexico.
- Suppan , Steve . “ Do No Harm: NAFTA, non-regulation of GMOS and Mexican agriculture. ”Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, November 6, 2017.
- Sweeney, Stuart & Steigerwald, Douglas & Davenport, Frank & Eakin, Hallie. (2013). Mexican Maize Production: Evolving Organizational and Spatial Structures since 1980 . Applied Geography. 39. 78-92. 10.1016 / j.apgeog.2012.12.005. "
- Transgenic 90 percent of the corn of the tortillas in Mexico: Academic of the UNAM ". Bulletin UNAM-DGCS-607. University City. September 18, 2017
- Turrent Fernández, Antonio et al. Transgenic corn in Mexico (in 15 pills) Oaxaca version . 2013 (p56)
- Vargas-Parada , L . GM Maize splits Mexico . Nature 511, 16–17 (2014) doi: 10.1038 / 511016a
- Víctor M. Quintana S. ““ Action makes union ”: Neo-Villista response to NAFTA ”. The Day of the field. Issue 5. February 12, 2008
- W Radio. " The Biosafety Law in Mexico is passed amid protests " February 16, 2005
- Wade, Lizzie. " Mexico's new science minister is a plant biologist who opposes transgenic crops " Science Magazine. October 4, 2018
- Wagner, Holly (2005-08-08). "Genetically modified maize not found in southern Mexico" . Ohio State University Research News.
- Wainwright, Joel and Mercer, Kristin. The dilemma of decontamination / A Gramscian analysis of the Mexican transgenic maize dispute. Geoforum 40 (2009): 354.
- Wise, Timothy. " High Risks, Few Rewards For Mexico with Monsanto's Maize " Al Jazeera. May 27, 2014
- Zuidema , Teake “ Drought is crippling small farmers in Mexico — with consequences for everyone else ” Quartz. December 14, 2019
Credits
This episode was produced by James L. Frederick and Polly Leger. Editing by Acey Rowe and Gordon Katic. James Rhatigan was our research assistant. Fact checking by Aurora Tejeida
Our theme song and original music is by our composer, Mike Barber. Dakota Koop is our graphic designer. Our production manager is David Tobiasz, and executive producers are Gordon Katic and Sam Fenn.
Thank you to: Ana de Ita Rubio , Santiago Muñoz and Daniela Moreno from the Maizajo tortilla shop, Silvia Ribeiro from ETC Group, and Natasha Pizzey Siegert.
This episode was funded in part by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. This is part of wider project challenging ideas in liberal environmental thought. The project was advised by Jessica Dempsey at the University of British Columbia, and Rosemary Collard from Simon Fraser University.
Cited is produced out of the Centre of Ethics at the University of Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. Cited is also produced out of the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia -- that’s on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
