Mexico Officially Bans the Planting of GM Corn

Reinforcing her country’s commitment to protecting native corn strains, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s anti-GM initiative comes in response to growing concern over the contamination of native varieties. Branding native corn as an essential element of national identity, the move follows a United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade dispute panel ruling in December 2024 that deemed Mexico’s previous restrictions on GM corn imports to be a violation of the USMCA trade agreement.

While Mexico initially repealed its import restrictions following that ruling, the government has now enshrined a prohibition on planting GM corn into its Constitution. The measure passed with overwhelming support in the country’s lower house of Congress and will now go to the Senate for final approval. While underscoring President Sheinbaum’s push to safeguard Mexico’s agricultural biodiversity, the move remains opposed by the United States, which exports approximately $5 billion worth of GM corn to Mexico annually.

To read how, after a 4-year legal battle, biotech firm Monsanto last year dropped its lawsuit against Mexico’s GM corn ban, see this news story on our website.