Mexico Prepares for Constitutional Ban on GMO Corn

The Chamber of Deputies has approved an initiative by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to constitutionally ban genetically modified (GM) corn. Opponents of the reform argue that the move could have serious implications for the USMCA negotiations.

The Constitutional Committee of the Chamber of Deputies has approved amendments to Articles 4 and 27 of the Constitution that would ban the cultivation of genetically modified corn in Mexico. The project will be debated today, Wednesday, February 26, in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, where it is expected to approve the initiative and then transmit it to the Senate, reports Elisa Galeana, an industry analyst for Mexico Business News.

This follows President Sheinbaum’s proposal to protect local corn varieties after Mexico lost a ruling in the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Commission (USMCA) over the import of GM corn against the United States government. The dispute commission began in 2023 following disagreements over measures introduced by former Mexican President López Obrador to ban the import of GM corn for human consumption. In June 2024, both sides presented oral arguments before the commission, and the final report was published in December 2024. In early February, the Mexican government was forced to lift trade restrictions on GM grain.

As for the constitutional changes, Article 4 now emphasizes that corn cultivation must be free from genetic modifications produced by methods that exceed natural reproductive or recombination barriers, such as transgenic techniques. It also specifies that any other use of GM corn must be assessed in accordance with legal provisions to ensure that it does not pose a threat to biosecurity, health, and the biocultural heritage of Mexico. It is stressed that the protection of biodiversity, food sovereignty and agro-ecological management must be a priority, promoting scientific-humanistic research, innovation and traditional knowledge.

Article 27 adds that the state will promote traditional crops using local seeds, in particular the milpa system, for the optimal use of land free of genetically modified maize crops, as defined in Article 4. Likewise, it states that research, innovation, conservation of agro-biodiversity and technical assistance will be encouraged, strengthening national public institutions. It also mentions that agricultural production, its industrialization and commercialization will be monitored, considering them matters of public interest.

The initiative was approved by 29 votes in favor, six against and two abstentions.

Opponents from the National Action Party (PAN) stressed that the project is not technically structured and instead has an ideological focus. They also pointed out that the potential impact of the ban on the USMCA agreement had not been analyzed. Luis Agustín Rodríguez, a PAN deputy, explained that the reform was not designed properly for each region of the country and would cause serious economic and inflationary complications that would affect prices. Moreover, he criticized the initiative for being based on ideological dogma without taking into account the competitiveness and productivity of Mexican agriculture. “A proposal of such importance requires a more in-depth analysis so as not to harm agricultural producers,” he said.

Tags: corn, restrictions, Mexico