| Montreal, 22/12/2003 – An independent study on the effects of transgenic maize in Mexico moved forward today with the release of an outline of chapters and a list of authors for a pending report on this issue.
The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) initiated the study in response to concerns regarding the possible appearance of genetically modified or transgenic material in some of Mexico's traditional land races of maize.
The report will be presented to the Council of the CEC, representing the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States, in June 2004. An international advisory group of experts and stakeholders guiding the development of the report will also present various recommendations to the Council at that time.
The following list of chapters and authors can also be found on our web site <www.cec.org/maize>, along with short biographical information on each author.
- Context and Background on Wild and Cultivated Maize in Mexico (Antonio Turrent)
- Identification of Potential Benefits and Risks (Paul Thompson)
- Assessment of Effects on Genetic Diversity (Julien Berthaud and Paul Gepts)
- Assessment of Effects on Natural Ecosystems (L. LaReesa Wolfenbarger and Mario González-Espinosa)
- Assessment of Biological Effects in Agriculture (Major Goodman and Luis Enrique García Barrios)
- Assessment of Social and Cultural Effects Associated with Transgenic Maize Production (Stephen Brush and Michelle Chauvet)
- Assessment of Human and Animal Health Effects (Héctor Bourges, Samuel Lehrer, and Andrés Aluja Schunemann [as of January 2004, Mr. Aluja Schunemann is no longer authoring this chapter])
- Framework by which Potential Benefits and Risks Can Be Judged (Mauricio Bellon and George Tzotzos)
- Understanding Complex Biology and Community Values: Communication and Participation (Jorge Larson and Michelle Chauvet)
- Identification and Analysis of Management Tools and Options to Mitigate or Avoid the Potential Risks and to Enhance or Realize the Potential Benefits (Reynaldo Ariel Alvarez-Morales and John Komen)
The next important step in the development of the report will occur on 11 March 2004, when a public symposium will be held in Oaxaca, Mexico, to discuss these issues and comment upon the draft report.
For more information, please consult our web site at <http://www.cec.org/maize>, or contact:
Chantal Line Carpentier
Head, Environment, Economy and Trade
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
393, rue St-Jacques, bureau 200
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 1N9
For media-related inquiries, please contact:
Evan Lloyd
Director of Communications
(514) 350-4308 | 
