Washington, D.C. (October 28, 2022) – BIO is disappointed to hear Mexico intends to proceed with its plan to arbitrarily restrict imports of biotech corn. While Mexico states that Brazil, Argentina, and other countries may appear to be alternative sources of non-biotech corn, supplies are not enough to replace current biotech corn exports to Mexico, which would adversely impact food security and raise prices for Mexican consumers as highlighted in a recent study from BIO and Mexican and U.S. food and agriculture stakeholders.
The fact is 93 percent of U.S. corn production is genetically engineered, while 92 percent of Argentina’s and 88 percent of Brazil’s corn production is biotech. Farmers there and in the U.S. have overwhelmingly adopted biotech traits because of their outstanding yields and environmental benefits compared to non-biotech corn, and they have no interest in going backward due to Mexico’s rejection of science.
We urge U.S. and Mexican agriculture and trade officials to resolve this issue before it’s too late to prevent a food security crisis for the Mexican people.
