GENE FLOW IN MAIZE

MAIZE: MEXICO AND GENETIC CONTAMINATION

Mexico is maize’s craddle. Genetic contamination of its genes is an assault to biodiversity.

Native maize

MEXICO AND MONSANTO: TAKING PRECAUTION IN THE FACE OF GENETIC CONTAMINATION (from an article by Thimoty A.Wise, FoodTank, May 29, 2014,cited by The Cornucopia Institute, cultivate@cornucopia.org. Jun. 7, 2014)

Mexico is the “center of origin” where maize was first domesticated from its wild ancestor, teocinte (“God’s grain”). The country is, then, the last place you’d want to risk the possibility that its wide array of native seeds be undermined by “genetic pollution” from GM maize.

Last October, a judge issued an injunction putting a halt to all experimental and comercial planting until it can be proven that native maize varieties are not threatened by “gene flow” from GM maize. The precautionary measure comes more that a decade too late, though. The Mexican government passed a biosafety law that opened the door to GM maize.

Considering that maize pollen has been known to travel more tan one kilometer, representatives of Monsanto Mexico said that it is unrealistic for the company to achieve zero percent gene flow. And, besides, “We can’t really ensure how grains are transported and where they end up” they added.

Antonio Serratos, one of the researchers on the NAFTA.commissioned study underscored the possibility of gene flow and stressed that these considerations are precisely why precaution is warranted and the entire country should be declared a “center of origin” for maize with no permitted GM cultivation.  

Full article: http://www.cornucopia.org/2014/05/mexico-monsanto-taking-precaution-face-genetic-contamination/