Mexico enshrines native corn as a national symbol, bans genetically modified seeds

By lauraharris // 2025-03-22

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Corn, originating in Mexico 9,000 years ago, holds a sacred place in Mexican culture, deeply embedded in art, cuisine and identity. It is celebrated as a symbol of national heritage and resilience, with its significance likened to "man's invention of fire" by poet Octavio Paz.
Mexican leaders have amended the Constitution to declare native corn "an element of national identity" and ban the planting of genetically modified (GM) seeds. This aims to protect Mexico's biodiversity, cultural heritage and sovereignty over its agricultural practices.
The legislation seeks to safeguard Mexico's thousands of heirloom corn varieties from contamination and extinction caused by GM crops, particularly those sold by American companies. While GM corn imports are not outright banned, planting GM seeds is prohibited.
The decision follows a years-long dispute over GM corn, with Mexico previously banning GM corn for human consumption and animal feed. A USMCA trade panel ruled the ban violated trade rules, escalating tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, which imports $5 billion worth of GM corn annually.
The move has garnered widespread support from agricultural, environmental and public health groups, as well as the Mexican public. President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of protecting corn as a cultural and historical link to Mexico's Indigenous origins.

Mexican leaders have voted to amend the Constitution to declare native corn "an element of national identity" and ban the planting of genetically modified (GM) seeds. Corn originated in Mexico approximately 9,000 years ago, when Mesoamerican farmers began domesticating the wild grass called teosinte. Since then, it has been held a sacred place in their culture. Sculptors carved depictions of Centeotl, the Aztec god of corn, into pre-Hispanic temples, while renowned artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo prominently showcased corn husks, cornfields and corn-based dishes in their works. (Related: The billion-dollar blunder: How overplanting GMO corn is costing farmers and fueling pest resistance.) Poet Octavio Paz was among the many people who celebrated the significance of corn, declaring, "The invention of corn by Mexicans is only comparable to man's invention of fire." Today, corn remains a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine. It is ground into masa and transformed into tortillas, tamales and tlacoyos. Its kernels are soaked to create fragrant pozole or brewed into a comforting breakfast drink called atole. Corn continues to nourish and inspire, deeply woven into the fabric of Mexican life. "It's at the root of our culture, giving us strength and identity," said Maria Elena Alvarez-Buylla, a researcher in molecular genetics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. "It's our staple. Losing sovereignty over a fundamental aspect of our life and health is very risky." In line with this rich cultural background, the Mexican leaders passed legislation that would protect their heritage. The measure, which received final approval from Congress on March 12, seeks to protect Mexico's rich biodiversity and cultural heritage from the encroachment of engineered crops, particularly those sold by American companies. "Corn is Mexico," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, describing the reform as a way to secure the sovereignty of their country. "We have to protect it for biodiversity but also culturally because corn is what intrinsically links us to our origins, to the resistance of Indigenous peoples." The new measure does not ban GM corn imports outright, but it prohibits the planting of GM seeds to safeguard Mexico's thousands of heirloom corn varieties from contamination and extinction.

Mexico faces rising trade tensions against the U.S.

The decision follows a years-long battle over genetically modified crops in Mexico. In 2023, then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a decree banning GM corn for human consumption, including in tortillas and dough, as well as for animal feed and industrial use. Obrador's stance has garnered widespread support from a diverse coalition of agricultural, consumer, environmental, public health and labor advocacy groups, making it a highly popular policy among the Mexican public. However, a trade dispute panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled that the ban violated trade rules, forcing Mexico to scale back its restrictions. And now that there is a rising tension again with the U.S. and Mexico over trade and agricultural policies, a constitutional reform happened. Mexico imports about $5 billion worth of genetically modified corn from the U.S. annually, most of which is used to feed livestock. The latest news about the dangers of GMOs can be found at GMO.news. Watch this video about eating GMO corns. This video is from the PureTrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.

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Mexico faces rising trade tensions against the U.S.

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