My dairy cows don’t have an off button.
They need a daily supply of food as part of a special diet that fuels them with excellent nutrition for health and productivity. Corn is one of their best sources of energy—and here in Mexico, we buy significant amounts of it from growers in the United States because my country doesn’t have the capacity to produce all the corn farmers and other industries need.
That’s why my government’s pending ban on imports of genetically modified corn is so destructive: It will hurt Mexican farmers and consumers as well as damage our relationship with our biggest and most important trading partner.
The good news is that Mexico’s government may be coming to its senses, however slowly. In February, it pushed back the ban of GM corn, which had been set to begin in January 2024. Now there is no deadline—and if we’re fortunate, there won’t ever be one.
We need more than a delayed deadline. Mexico should make a complete U-turn and eliminate the uncertainty that continues to cause confusion and animosity—and announce, once and for all, that every kind of corn is as welcome in our country today as it was when farmers from long ago first discovered and began to improve it.
