Para los productores maiceros de México ¿un maíz transgénico?

Abstract

Abstract. Mexico’s main crop for feeding purposes is corn. Nevertheless, the corn sector is in a middle of a crisis due to many reasons, among them the lack of the State’s aid and agronomic problems such as plagues that cause considerable loss of grain. Given the importance of corn in many countries, genetic engineering has been used to create a Bt corn, which is resistant to insects. Transgenic corn has caused a lot of controversy because there is uncertainty over its impact in human health and environment. On the other hand, people who defend technology consider that transgenic corn is an alternative to reduce the use of insecticides and diminish production costs. Today, Bt corn cannot be tested in Mexico by the missing implementation of the raising of the moratorium established in 1998 and raised in 2003. However, this situation can change and its cultivation might be authorized during 2010. For this reason, this article approaches, the situation that prevails in three corn states where plagues have an impact on production, the way producers face plagues which attack corn, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of Bt corn.