The Protection of Maize under the Mexican Biosafety Law: Environment and Trade

This book analyses the importance of maize worldwide and the special importance for Mexico as a centre of origin and diversity (COD). By adopting a comparative approach, the analysis focuses on how developed and developing countries handle imports of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO & rsquo;s). It also analyses the impact that GM maize imports from the USA may have in Mexico as COD of maize. This book illustrates the process of economic liberalization in Mexico from the 1980 & rsquo;s until the inception of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. It provides a descriptive and analytical insight into the Mexican legal framework of biotechnology and biosafety. Finally, it outlines the problems of complying with both environmental, and trade commitments Mais, Gentechnik, Mexiko The Protection of Maize under the Mexican Biosafety Law: Environment and Trade 7 Chapter I 22 Biotechnology and Biodiversity: Developments, Potentials and Concerns 22 Introduction 22 A. Development of Biotechnology 23 I. Historical Development 23 II. Overview of Biotechnology 27 III. Categorisation of Biotechnology 29 IV. Benefits and Risks of Biotechnology 33 V. Biotechnology and its Commercial Use from 1996 to 2008. 35 VI. Important Biotechnology Institutes in Mexico 41 VII. Multinational Biotech Corporations 42 B. Protection of Biodiversity in Mexico with Special Focus on Maize 43 I. Current Mexican Protection of Biodiversity. 43 II. Defining Maize (Zea Mays Subsp. Mays) 47 IV. Importance of Maize both Worldwide and for Mexico 57 V. Consumption of Maize in Developed and in Developing Countries 60 C. Concerns 61 I. Contamination of Maize in Mexico: The Report of the Commission for Economical Cooperation (CEC) 61 II. The Star-Link Event 64 D. Conclusion 64 Chapter II 66 Mexican and International Biosafety Rules Regarding Genetically Modified Organisms 66 Introduction 66 A. Early and Sectoral Approaches 68 I. The United States of America (USA) 68 II. Germany 69 III. The European Union 70 IV. Mexico 74 B. Conceptualization of the Issue with Relevance to Biodiversity and Biotechnology by the Lead of the CBD and the BSP 94 I. Agenda 21 96 II. Convention on Biological Diversity 97 III. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 99 IV. Other International Developments 106 C. The Mexican Biosafety Law as an Implementation of International Commitments in the Sense of a Homogenous Approach 114 I. Hierarchy of International Agreements in Mexico 114 II. Historical Development of the Mexican Biosafety Law 116 III. Coordination of Biotechnology Policies 117 IV. Adoption of the Precautionary Principle 120 V. National Register of Biosafety on GMO鈥檚 122 VI. The Information System of Living Modified Organisms (SIOVM) 124 VII. Objectives and Scope of the Mexican Biosafety Law 125 VIII. The Risk Assessment Applying the Precautionary Principle on a Case-by-case Basis 125 IX. Procedure for Approval of Permits for the Release of GMO鈥檚 into the Environment. 128 X. Procedure for Authorization of GMO鈥檚 Intended for Direct Use as FFP鈥檚, Including Imports 132 XI. Imports and Exports of GMO鈥檚 134 XII. Restriction of Release of GMO鈥檚 into the Environment 135 XIII. Regime for Special Protection of Maize 138 D. Conclusion 140 Chapter III 143 The Mexican Biosafety Law and the NAFTA/WTO Regimes Regarding Imports of GM Maize 143 Introduction 143 A. Process of Economic Liberalisation in Mexico 144 I. Agricultural Policies Objectives from 1990 to 2008 145 II. Liberalization of the Corn Market: Domestic Intervention 147 III. Asymetries in Terms of Economics, Technology, Production Factors, and Agricultural Policies and Support between Mexico vis-谩-vis USA Regarding Maize 149 IV. Elimination of Trade Barriers and the Protection for Import-Sensitive Products such as Maize within the NAFTA Regime 151 B. The Mexican Biosafety Law and the NAFTA/WTO Regimes 158 I. General Trade Rules 158 II. National Policy Exceptions 161 C. Imports of GM Maize 166 I. Harmonization of Labelling and Identification of GMO鈥檚 Imports within NAFTA 167 II. Labelling and Identification Requirements of GMO鈥檚 Imports 168 III. Imports Bans within the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) 175 D. Conclusion 182 Summary 184 Bibliography 188 Index 208 Backcover 215 maize;,Mexico;,biosafety,law maize,Mexico,biosafety law