Monsanto Wins Permits to Plant GMO Corn in Mexico Yucatan Times
go to original July 23, 2012

A Mexican farmer cuts genetically modified corn in Capulalpan. (Reuters)

Strong pressure has been and continues to be applied to the Mexican Federal Government to approve the use of Genetically Engineered Organism´s or GMO´s.

Monsanto is the largest GMO corporation leading and placing pressure on the Government.

Mexico so far, has resisted strongly the use of GMO planting within its borders. However, pressure has increased dramatically since the recent presidential elections, indicated Elena Alvarez-Buylla, investigator for the Ecological Institute at the UNAM and president of the Union of Scientists Committed to Society or UCSS.

“It is regrettable that the Mexican authorities have yielded to the demands of this corporation, and have done so during the electoral process as well as the spring – summer crop season, withholding any announcement and approving three new permits to plant transgenic corn in its pilot phase for Monsanto in northern Tamaulipas.” Alvarez-Buyulla informed reporters.

In Yucatan, Greenpeace Mexico activists protested at the central offices of the Federal Agricultural Secretary in March, 2012 against Monsanto and the Federal approval for the planting of 30 thousand hectares of soy GMO´s in Yucatan.

Activists in Yucatan are concerned that the production of GMO´s, which will be exported principally to Europe, will contaminate Yucatan´s natural crops through pollen.

The GMO planting also represents a serious threat to Yucatan´s honey production.

Yucatan Peninsula is home to the world´s second largest tropical forest.

Greenpeace Mexico activists have begun protesting in Mexico City and Tamaulipas, against the recent approval of corn GMO´s in Tamaulipas.

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!