Mexico Is Right to Reject GMO Tortillas

A trade dispute between Mexico and the United States over genetically engineered (GMO) corn is pitting science against the power of the pesticide industry. On both sides of the border, and perhaps worldwide, this dispute promises to focus a new generation of eaters, public health scientists, and political leaders on what is known, and not known, about the safety of food made from GMO corn.

Mexico is seeking to make a bold move—prohibiting the use of GMO corn in tortillas and other traditional corn-based foods. In response, the U.S. government has taken Mexico to court under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA). For the U.S., this is primarily a symbolic fight, as less than one percent of U.S. corn exports to Mexico are under question. The U.S. is by far the world’s most dedicated proponent of GMO crops and the pesticides that go along with them. Decades of evidence show deep collusion between the U.S. government and pesticide corporations like Bayer-Monsanto that develop and profit from GMO corn.