Originally posted November 17, 2021, this Politico article features the battle between Mexico’s efforts to preserve their heritage maize and the USDA’s attempts to force their acceptance of genetically modified varieties under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. A nationwide campaign, No Country Without Corn (Sin Maíz No Hay País), was launched in 2007 by small farmers, indigenous peoples and civil society groups to shield the country’s heirloom corn varieties from GM contamination and corporate capture.
“For decades we’ve pushed for policy reforms that support farmers to transition off of the treadmill of dependence on chemical inputs to increase productivity for overcoming systemic low prices,” said Jordan Treakle, NFFC policy coordinator.