b'CANADA JOINS U.S. IN CRITICIZING MEXICOS GM CORN DECISIONMexicos stance is not scientifically supported and has the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market, Bibeau says.Alex MartinFOLLOWING THE U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) KatherineCanada will continue to work with Mexico and the U.S. Tais call for a dispute settlement consultation with Mexicotowards an outcome that preserves trade predictability and under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)market access for our farmers and exporters, Bibeau said.on June 5, Canadas Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau released a statement in response on JuneKeep This Background in Mind9, supporting the United States in its opposition of MexicosOriginally, in January 2021, Obrador issued a decree that approach to GM corn. would effectively eliminate the use of GM corn in Mexico by The U.S.s call stems from a decision made by Mexican2024. With pushback from the U.S., that decree was modified President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador on Feb. 13, 2023,in February to lax the ban and focus primarily on keep-which would specifically prohibit the use of GM corn in tortil- ing GM products out of food made for human and animal las or dough. According to the USTR, though this is a gradualconsumption.substitute of genetically modified (GM) corn in these products,The Government of Mexico considers, according to many the U.S. believes it will eventually become a complete ban onof the statements issued by the president, that genetically modi-the use of GM corn in products for human consumption andfied corn is harmful to peoples health, but up to now it has not for animal feed. been able to prove this, Luis Alberto Osorio, executive director [USMCA] is the most successful trade agreement in theof Proccyt, told Seed World Group in a previous interview. In world with over CDN$2 trillion in trade flowing between ouraddition, it states that the decision to prohibit its planting is a three countries every year, Bibeau said in the release. We havespecial measure of protection for native corn, the milpa, biocul-always been clear that Canada expects our partners to upholdtural wealth, peasant communities, gastronomic heritagetheir commitments under [USMCA]including sanitary andMexico is one of our oldest and strongest trading part-phytosanitary measures. ners. Their decision to ban GM corn is not only disappoint-The Government of Canada is committed to science-baseding, but also not based in science and it is out of step with the decision making, while keeping food, feed, and the environ- commitments they agreed to under USMCA, the American ment safe and supporting the ability of farmers to succeed in anSeed Trade Association said in an emailed statement to Seed innovative and sustainable sector, Bibeau said. World Group. Canada shares the concerns of the U.S. that MexicosThe United States has a long track record of using GM measures are not scientifically supported and have the potentialcorn. Numerous studies have demonstrated that GM corn is to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market,safe for use in food and safe for cultivation in the environment. she added. Canada has decided to participate as a third partyMexicos recent actions also contradict its previously long and in the dispute settlement consultations initiated by the U.S. predictable track record of approving GM corn products. JULY 2023 GERMINATION.CA 31'