Science, Regulation & Human Health: Justifications for Mexico’s GM Corn Restrictions

Watch the recording of our April 23, 2024 webinar in English. Watch in Spanish here. 

Because corn makes up a major part of the Mexican diet, Mexico’s government is rightly concerned by genetically modified (GM) corn’s potential human health risks. Speakers will present scientific evidence backing Mexico’s precautionary measures for human health and explain why U.S. “regulation” does not ensure the safety of GMOs, but rather is designed to promote their acceptance both domestically and internationally. Dr. Charles Benbrook, Benbrook Consulting Services, Co-author of Friends of the Earth comments

Webinar speakers & presentation slides 

• Dr. Charles Benbrook, Benbrook Consulting Services, Co-author of Friends of the Earth comments
• Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, Coordinator — Presentation slides in English and Spanish
• Bill Freese, Center for Food Safety, Science Director — Presentation slides in English and Spanish (informal translation)
• Javier Zúñiga, El Poder del Consumidor — Presentation slides in English and Spanish
• Moderator: Karen Hansen-Kuhn, IATP, Director of Trade and International Strategies

About the webinar series

The Mexican government has restricted the use of genetically modified (GM) white corn for human consumption and glyphosate as part of its broader program for food self-sufficiency and agroecology. Last August, the U.S. government launched a trade dispute, falsely asserting that these rules violate provisions in the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canada joined as a third party, even though it does not export corn to Mexico.

This case underscores how trade policy can be misused to undermine countries’ democratic efforts to reshape their domestic food systems. Civil society organizations in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. have pushed back, including by filing formal submissions under the USMCA dispute resolution process.