Monsanto in Mexico | Statement of the Union of Socially Concerned Scientists

Artwork | Polo
Castellanos | Courtesy of artelista

Moderator’s
Note: At the request of anti-GMO activist
networks in Mexico and the U.S. we are posting our translation of an editorial
published in the Mexican national daily, La Jornada
two days ago (28 November 2014). The statement was prepared by Professor Elena Álvarez-Buyll on behalf of the Mexican NGO known as Unión
de Científicos Comprometidos con la Sociedad (UCCS) or Union of Socially
Concerned Scientists.

This is one in a continuing series of translated
works we are posting to keep our English language readers informed on important
developments and perspectives in Mexico related to the science, culture, and
politics of food and agriculture, with a focus on growing social movements for
the protection of Mexico precious diversity of native crops.

Mexico is one of the premiere centers of origin for
native (land race) crops – including multiple varieties among amaranth,
avocado, bean, cacao, chile, corn, papaya,  squash, and much more. One recent study (CONABIO as cited in
Barrera-Bassols
et al 2009) estimates that the crops developed by indigenous farmers of the
Mesoamerican origin center comprise nearly 16 percent of all the crop varieties
grown and eaten across the planet. Protecting this cultural ecological
heritage is vital to the future of the planetary systems that sustain
biological diversity and agroecological resilience.

On top of injury, a transgenic stab in the wound

Elena Álvarez-Buylla | Mexico City | November 30, 2014

Amid the grief that shakes us following the tragedy
of Ayotzinapa, we were surprised by the news that the Federal Commission for Protection
against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) has approved the free consumption of 132
transgenic products of which 50 percent corresponds to corn and the rest are
cotton, soybean and canola, among others. This announcement was made by GMO enthusiast
Alejandro Monteagudo Cuevas, CEO of AgroBio Mexico, who interests are kept in business
with the approval of the planting of transgenic corn.

Through collective action, based on scientific
evidence on the harmful effects on the environment and the biodiversity of
native maize, we succeeded in suspending the release of transgenic maize in
Mexico. The future of corn, now subject to climate change and other challenges,
depends on the survival of Mexican landraces, the product of deeply grounded indigenous
peoples who still support an important part of national production. The release
of transgenic maize threatens these landraces and indigenous peoples in multiple
forms.

It seems the State approves the use of more transgenic
lines to compensate for the interruption our resistance brought to the business
of monopolistic producers of GMOs, at the expense of food sovereignty and
public health. This favor for the transnational corporations coincides with the
rejection of GMOs by various countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. There
is abundant scientific evidence of health damage from the consumption of
transgenic foods including the inordinate and growing quantity of herbicides
and pesticides used to produce these crops.

Epidemiological data has been derived from animal
studies in Paraguay, Argentina, and the United States, a country where the
health of its inhabitants has deteriorated rapidly over the past 20 years. Since
the mid-1990s, we witnessed in the USA an extraordinary increase in deaths from
various cancers, diabetes, kidney damage or metabolic disorders, and even
diseases like Alzheimers. These results have been published in the most
prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals. What is the cause of this trend?
Recent studies indicate that the consumption of GMO foods and their associated
agro-toxins may play a causal role.

GMO crops began to be release massively in the US in
early 1990. One of the components that is most clearly correlated with the
tendency toward greater incidence of these diseases is increased use of the
herbicide glyphosate, called “Slaughter” [Faena] in Mexico. This herbicide was
used for about 10 years before the release of GMO crops in the US, but was used
more widely with the development of herbicide-tolerant transgenic crops. In
Europe, the planting of herbicide-tolerant GMOs has not been approved and so
the use of the agrochemicals and their consumption is avoided.

The correlation between increased disease prevalence
and use of glyphosate along with the cultivation of transgenic
herbicide-tolerant soybeans and corn is greater than 90 percent in many cases
from the mid to late 1990s. Although correlation does not indicate causality, the
correlation is so high for many diseases (22 studied) that it can be seen to
indicate that this herbicide is a causative agent.

Inhabitants of the United States are subject to
contaminants in water, air and food, and glyphosate apparently affects bodily
systems exposed to the chemical. However, the US government continues to use
its population as guinea pigs, has not approved labeling of GMOs, and does not
prohibit the use of Slaughter (Roundup) and other agrochemicals. Some experts
allude to corruption. They insist that the public institutions governing the
use of these substances should apply the precautionary principle, rather than
wait for the damages appear.

These damages and the persistence of toxins in the
environment are difficult to reverse; and this happens at a time when we are
only now beginning to understand the importance of epigenetic inheritance and
how exposure today will affect future generations, even if the children and
grandchildren of these were never exposed. In the absence of corruption,
Slaughter (Roundup) never should have been approved for widespread use and it
should be recalled.

Furthermore, the presence and spread of GMOs
themselves, involving contamination with a life of its own and with
unpredictable impacts, will be irreversible if it is not stopped now. This is
particularly important for centers of origin and diversity, as is the case in
Mexico for corn. Given recent data about damage to health by cultivation and
consumption of GM, the only acceptable approach is to prevent these crops from
contaminating our environment and food. The only purpose served by the use of
GMOs and agro-toxins is profit; 20 years after their release, they have not fed
one hungry person in the world; nor have yields increased or the use of toxic
chemicals decreased.

Given the above, it is surprising that the current
and two previous governments of Mexico sacrifice our health and food
sovereignty, our environment and food, as well as our health in exchange for dark
trade agreements. Scientific evidence in recent years shows a strong
association between the consumption of GMO foods and exposure to glyphosate and
increased prevalence of diseases such as intestinal inflammation, incidence of
certain cancers, renal disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases (see, for e.g.,
Journal
of Organic Systems 2014). This research should be sufficient to compel the
State to prevent these types of pesticides and herbicides from contaminating
our food.

* Researcher with the Institute of Ecology, UNAM; Campaign
Coordinator, UCCS. For more information go to: http://www.uccs.mx.