Ban on GM Corn Could Exacerbate Food Insecurity and Job Loss in Mexico

A survey conducted by agricultural economists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture shows that a fully implemented ban on genetically modified (GM) corn in Mexico could burden lower-income consumers in the country. The study is published in Food Security.

Mexico, the second-largest importer of US corn, heavily relies on maize imports for livestock production. With 90% of US corn being GM, American farmers would be greatly affected by the presidential decree. The study noted that 45% of Mexicans live in poverty and 23% are food insecure. Based on the report by World Perspective in 2022, Brandon McFadden, a lead author of the study and a professor at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said that the ban will likely exacerbate food insecurity and could result in 56,958 jobs lost in Mexico.

“More than half of the people we surveyed in Mexico were not even aware of the ban, and of those who did know about it and supported it, many of them changed their opinion when they saw how much prices could go up and how many jobs could be lost,” said McFadden. Support for the decree dropped from 77% to 46% and 56% when respondents learned about the potential job losses and the possible increase in corn prices, respectively.

For more information, read the article from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Research and Extension.