Articles

Greenpeace Mexico made another step forward blocking transgenic soy sowing. In addition to the two suspensions handed down by the Courts of Yucatan and Campeche, on August 08 lawmakers of the Third Committee of Finance, Agriculture and Development, Communications and Public Works decided to call Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, head of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), to submit a report - in a set time of 10 days - that supports with full, technical and scientific explanations his decision to adopt a favorable opinion for commercial cultivation of GM soy. The background to this decision was threefold:

- Greenpeace Mexico started a process for administrative responsibility to the Internal Control Body of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) against Alfonso Flores Ramirez, head of the Directorate General of Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) and Mauricio Limón Aguirre, Secretary of Management for Environmental Protection, because they granted to Monsanto the permission for commercial cultivation of 253 500 hectares of GM soy -tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate- in the states of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz and Chiapas despite of suspension by the First District Court of Merida (Yucatan) to plant 30 000 hectares of GM soy, requested by Monsanto in 2011, motived by of the irreparable damage that can cause to the environment and risks to human health.

- At the Session of July 4, 2012, Deputies urged Secretary of Agriculture (SAGARPA) to apply the “precautionary principle”, based on UNESCO’s international values and on national Biodiversity Law of Genetically Modified Organisms (LBOG, art. 90), because of the risks inherent in beekeeping and honey trade.

- At the Session of July 11, 2012, Deputies urged the Federal Executive Branch to report on the purpose for granting authorizations for the cultivation of 253 500 hectares of GM soy and suspend and / or revoke, as appropriate, these authorizations.