The defeat of the Mexican government before the United States dispute panel was a foreseeable defeat, due to the very nature of the lawsuit, which had a strictly commercial purpose: defending the interests of transnational companies against Mexico’s sovereign decision on what to purchase and its food sovereignty.

However, the substance of the controversy is false because the prohibition on the use of genetically modified corn for human consumption has not resulted in any commercial harm. On the contrary, from 16 million tons of genetically modified yellow corn that Mexico imported at the beginning of 2024, its purchases increased to almost 20 million tons.

The important thing is that, despite this negative ruling for Mexico, the prohibition on the commercial planting of genetically modified corn remains in effect due to a precautionary measure issued in September 2013 in favor of a civil class action lawsuit represented by Mercedes López, a member of Vía Orgánica. In addition, a constitutional reform is about to be approved that will ban the planting of GM corn in Mexico and prohibit its human consumption.

From Vía Orgánica and the civil society plaintiffs, we will continue fighting and defending native Mexican corns, which represent culture, tradition, gastronomy, cosmogony, craftsmanship, environmental preservation, human rights, and food sovereignty.

Listen to the interview with Mercedes López on Radio Bilingüe on January 10, 2025:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 – PROGRAM NO. 10651 12:00 PM PT

Mexico Edition.

A USMCA panel ruled against Mexico in the genetically modified corn case, claiming that the Mexican prohibition is not based on science and undermines access to the market agreed upon in the USMCA. In response, Mexican President Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of corn as a cultural and biological heritage, the risks posed by transgenic varieties, and proposed legislation to ban the cultivation of GM corn in the country. “Without corn, there is no country,” she asserted. Experts are debating the next steps.

Find more information about Línea Abierta and previous programs on our Línea Abierta page.