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Published in Winter 2004
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Report spotlights regional effects of global issue
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| By Bill Kennedy, CEC Executive Director |
When it was reported in 2001 that
genetically modified corn had spread among native maize land races in the high
valleys surrounding Oaxaca, the familiar controversy and well-rehearsed debate over genetically modified, or transgenic,
crops suddenly took root in Mexico's cornfields.
Peasant farmers know that
open-pollinated plants like maize easily share their genes, so they were
naturally concerned with questions about the effects of transgenes. Was it
safe? What effect would it have on their crops and the environment?
At the time of this
publication, however, the appearance of transgenic material in the Sierra Norte
region is still being debated. But regardless of the extent to which transgenes
have spread in Mexico, experts now agree they are certain to do so in the
future.
The CEC Secretariat, keeping
in mind the single, common environment shared by North America's three
countries, launched an independent inquiry into the issues profiled in this
special edition of Trio.
There is urgency to our
work. Worldwide, genetic modification is being promoted as a way to improve
agricultural productivity, increase resistance to disease and decrease reliance
on pesticides. If peasants have access to transgenic varieties that are
perceived as valuable, they will crossbreed these with traditional varieties—spreading
the transgene and its trait among their land race fields. On the other hand,
the long-term impact on the environment is unknown.
Perhaps more significantly,
Mexico is a world center of origin for maize. What impact would the spread of
transgenes to native races—and perhaps their wild relatives—have on
both Mexico's rich genetic diversity and this important global resource?
In 2002, the CEC Secretariat
therefore responded to requests by members of Mexican civil society, international
organizations and, in particular, indigenous and peasant groups from Oaxaca and
Puebla, that the CEC initiate an independent enquiry to determine the facts.
Article 13 of the North
American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation allows the CEC Secretariat to
make independent investigations and report on important and emerging
environmental issues. These investigations—science-based, collaborative
and involving the public—have shed light on pressing issues, mobilized
stakeholders to action, and induced policy changes that benefit the North
American environment.
Preceding reports have
tackled diverse and important issues: from the environmental impacts of the
emerging North American electricity market, to the mystery of some 20,000 to
40,000 dead waterfowl at the Silva Reservoir in Guanajuato, Mexico.
The current study, Maize and Biodiversity:
The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico, is the fifth such endeavor.
Like those preceding
reports, this initiative demonstrates a unique strength of the CEC. In addition
to our roles as catalyst for cooperation, a forum for public dialogue, and a
center for information and analysis on trade and the environment in North
America, the Secretariat has the capacity to focus these attributes and shine
an international spotlight on important environmental issues.
The goal of the Secretariat
in this process is to contribute positively to this debate by enabling and
fostering joint factfinding. We trust our comprehensive assessment of the
impact of transgene flow upon economic, social, and environmental values, and
the recommendations of our expert advisory board, to be presented to the CEC
Council in June of this year, will provide a sound foundation for future
policy, regulatory and other actions.
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