Region in Mexico is declared "free of GMO"

In the middle of a legal dispute between Mayan Beekeepers with multinational Monsanto to ban transgenic seeds, the government of Yucatán, a state in Mexico, declared the place as “free of gentically-modified” organisms.

In a twelve-page decree published on Thursday, the government of Rolando Zapata Bello argues that the necessity of “applying the principle of precaution before the damage morally unacceptable due to a health threat because of the presence of transgenic soybeans and extensive use of agrochemicals”.

It also points out that “because of serious damage for the beekeeping, because it is unfair for future generations and also because it is against human rights for the Mayan producers; a previous consult, free and informed; the right to work, for food, sale and industrialization and social property as well as a human right to a healthy environment.”

Activisits celebrated the measure and qualified as “bold, responsible and founded.” On the other hand, the collective MaOGM adverted that the possibility that this decree has a controversy under the constitution because the matter is federal, not a state issue.

The group explained that the federal that regulated GMOs foresees state initiatives, but under the figure of agreements and partnerships of coordination and the sense that the Yucatán government to establish repeatedly, but the federal government did not respond.

The evaluation of possible adverse effects should be considered on genetically-modified organisms, herbicides, pesticides and other inputs of the technological packages are also necessary. In a same way, it should be also taken into account on the effects over the flora and the fauna are diverse and unknow, but in some occasions result to be negative and put at risk the biodiversity, affecting the pollen and nectar.

The decree declares the state of Yucatán as a free zone of GMO, as well as contaminated products for agricultural purposes or input production for human use and agricultural, to preserve the biodiversity and quality of products and rural communities, while pushing organic crops.