The reform promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum, which prohibits the cultivation of transgenic corn and protects native varieties of the grain native to Mexico, was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF in Spanish).
The document that makes official the reforms to articles 4° and 27 of the Constitution, regarding the conservation and protection of native corn, will enter into force on Tuesday, March 17.
The addition to article 4° specifies that the cultivation of corn “in the national territory must be free of genetic modifications produced with techniques that overcome the natural barriers of reproduction or recombination, such as transgenics. Any other use of genetically modified corn must be evaluated under the terms of the legal provisions to be free from threats to biosafety, health and the biocultural heritage of Mexico and its population.
Article 27 specifies that the State “will promote the conditions for rural, cultural, economic and health development, with the purpose of generating employment and guaranteeing the wellbeing of the peasant population and their participation and incorporation in national development, will promote agricultural and forestry activities, traditional crops with native seeds, especially the milpa system, for the optimal use of land free of genetically modified corn crops”.