Rep. Mann Responds to Mexico's Threat of GMO Corn Imports Ban
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) released the following statement in response to Monday's announcement in Mexico that the Mexican government is still on track to ban GMO corn imports for human consumption starting in 2024.
“The Mexican government’s unscientific and arbitrary ban on genetically modified corn imports would disrupt billions of dollars of trade between Mexico and the U.S. and leave hundreds of thousands of people hungry. This is another example of politics over people – and in this case, hungry people. For years, we have seen a war on the science it takes to feed a hungry world. Claims that GMO science is unsafe are categorically false; GMO science has been on the market for 30 years, it is safe, it is reliable, and it is the only way we are going to keep people around the world from starving. America must continue demanding answers from Mexico and holding them accountable to both sound science and our trade agreements. Hungry people around the world deserve better, and so do Kansas corn farmers. This ban is unacceptable and needs to be reversed immediately.”
On December 31, 2020, Mexico’s President issued a decree calling for genetically modified corn for human consumption to be phased out by the end of January 2024.
On November 19, 2021, Rep. Mann sent a letter to President Biden insisting that he hold Mexico accountable to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with regard to their plans to phase out GMO corn imports by 2024.
On February 13, 2023, Mexico rescinded their 2024 deadline to ban genetically modified corn for animal feed and industrial use but retained their plans to prohibit it for human consumption.
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