Monsanto and other biotechnology companies have asked the Mexican government for permission to sell genetically modified corn to farmers across large parts of northern Mexico, a move that opponents of transgenic crops say will threaten the country’s rich variety of native maize. The request for commercial permits marks a turning point in the fight over introducing gene-altered corn in Mexico. In 2009, the government lifted a de facto ban on transgenic corn and authorized the first experimental plots. Critics worry that authorities are now rushing recklessly to put the seeds into broad circulation. “Here in Mexico, our circle of authority is completely convinced that Monsanto is the response to our problems when climate change comes,” says Antonio Turrent Fernández, a senior researcher at the... [Log in to read more]