In 2023, the Mexican government issued a decree to phase out glyphosate and eliminate genetically modified corn, with the ban expected to start on April 1, 2024. However, President Lopez Obrador has postponed this measure indefinitely by the end of March due to resistance from agricultural sectors. These sectors warned that crop production could decline by up to 40% without a viable alternative to glyphosate, posing a threat to national food security. Consequently, glyphosate usage continues as the search for a low-toxicity alternative herbicide progresses.
The delay in the glyphosate ban also reflects on Mexico's political landscape and its trade relations with the United States, especially considering the upcoming presidential elections in June 2024 and an ongoing trade dispute over genetically modified corn imports from the US. Mexico has expressed health concerns over genetically modified corn and its glyphosate residues.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
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