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Trade Shouldn't Mean Dumping Toxic Chemicals:
Tell the U.S. Trade Rep. to Stop Doing Monsanto's Owner's Bidding!
Every country should be able to set standards for safe food for its people. Unfortunately, newly leaked documents show how the biotech industry teamed up with US government officials to bully the Mexican government to protect their profits over people’s health.
On December 9th, 2020, Mexico took bold action to phase out genetically engineered corn and ban the popular weed killer glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp. Glyphosate is linked to cancer in humans and more and more cities, counties and countries are banning or severely restricting its use. Many genetically engineered crops are designed to withstand massive doses of pesticides, like glyphosate. Indeed, Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, made billions through the pairing of their Roundup with GMO “Roundup Ready” corn. Crops sprayed with the pesticide often end up with heavy residues. That’s why when announcing the ban, the Mexican government said the decision was to support “food security and sovereignty” and “the health of Mexican men and women.”
A February 16th article by the UK’s Guardian reported on leaked communications between then Trump Administration officials and biotech companies and lobbyists, including Monsanto/Bayer and CropLife America, coordinating a pressure campaign against the Mexican government’s proposed ban. Leaked emails show how the U.S. Trade Representative and Environmental Protection Agency staff strategized with biotech industry representatives to use the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, the trade deal replacing NAFTA) to bully the Mexican government to reverse course.
Take Action: Send a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative and demand that the U.S. government respect Mexico's right to protect its citizens and environment.
Trade shouldn't mean dumping toxic chemicals:
Tell the U.S. Trade Rep. to stop doing Monsanto's Owner's Bidding!
Every country should be able to set standards for safe food for its people. Unfortunately, newly leaked documents show how the biotech industry teamed up with US government officials to bully the Mexican government to protect their profits over people’s health.
On December 9th, 2020, Mexico took bold action to phase out genetically engineered corn and ban the popular weed killer glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp. Glyphosate is linked to cancer in humans and more and more cities, counties and countries are banning or severely restricting its use. Many genetically engineered crops are designed to withstand massive doses of pesticides, like glyphosate. Indeed, Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, made billions through the pairing of their Roundup with GMO “Roundup Ready” corn. Crops sprayed with the pesticide often end up with heavy residues. That’s why when announcing the ban, the Mexican government said the decision was to support “food security and sovereignty” and “the health of Mexican men and women.”
A February 16th article by the UK’s Guardian reported on leaked communications between then Trump Administration officials and biotech companies and lobbyists, including Monsanto/Bayer and CropLife America, coordinating a pressure campaign against the Mexican government’s proposed ban. Leaked emails show how the U.S. Trade Representative and Environmental Protection Agency staff strategized with biotech industry representatives to use the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, the trade deal replacing NAFTA) to bully the Mexican government to reverse course.
Take Action: Send a letter to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and demand that the U.S. government respect Mexico's right to protect its citizens and environment.
This isn’t the first time that a trade deal has been used to put corporate profits ahead of healthy food and communities. Corn is a staple food in Mexico and has incredible cultural, ecological, and economic significance. The enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 reduced protections for local markets. Since then, there has been a steady increase in corn imports from the United States. As a result of NAFTA, industrial corn has displaced millions of Mexican farmers, flooding the market with “dumped” corn, produced below the cost of production. Additionally, the massive influx of genetically modified corn is a threat to the integrity of heirloom corn varieties and global food security. Mexican President Lopez Obrador cited Mexico’s food sovereignty and public health as justification for the proposed ban.
President Joe Biden has nominated Katherine Tai as United States Trade Representative (USTR), the government agency responsible for US trade policy. Though her nomination has not been confirmed, we must send a clear message that the USTR must not advocate on behalf of biotech corporations that threaten global food sovereignty. Please send a letter to the USTR office and demand that the US government respect Mexico’s right to protect its citizens and environment.
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