U.S. labels NAFTA environmental report on GM corn “flawed”
The Bush administration called an environmental report from the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation about trade of genetically modified corn to Mexico “flawed and unscientific.”The report, “Maize and Biodiversity: The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico,” is “not based on sound science,” said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Environmental Protection Agency in a joint statement Monday.
“Implementing many of the report’s recommendations would cause economic harm to farmers and consumers in all NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) countries and restrict international trade,” the agencies said.
The agencies pointed out that one of the most concerning recommendations in the report is the requirement for U.S. corn exports to Mexico be milled at the border. This would “increase the cost of U.S. corn significantly, negatively affecting Mexico’s livestock producers and consumers,” the USTR and EPA said.
“Milling corn before transport also raises quality concerns and increases shipping costs, exacerbating the problem,” the agencies said.
