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20.500.12592/zcrjkk2

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22 Feb 2024

Our organization, Northumberland Chapter of the Council of Canadians Trade Justice Group (TJG) was in touch with Canada’s four Ministries in 2023 on the issue of Mexico trying to protect both the heritage of 9000 years of indigenous maize landraces and the health of the country’s current population, from GM corn pollution. [...] Canada believes that the measures taken by Mexico are not scientifically supported and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market.” In this Statement Canada cites the trade agreement’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Chapter as its argument for joining the U. [...] However, in the SPS Chapter Canada cites, it states that “This Chapter does not prevent a Party from: …establishing the level of protection it determines to be appropriate.” Canada could have done well to investigate references from other CUSMA Chapter sections that also back Mexico’s sovereign right to pass laws in order to protect the health of its citizens. [...] How much of the evidence that Canada is relying on for this dispute comes directly from industry sources? Do the relevant government departments in Canada have the ability to independently review industry sponsored findings on, for example, risks posed to human health and to the environment from the unregulated propagation of GMOs? As Canada challenges Mexico to stop its planned phase-out of GM co. [...] In the March 23, 2023 letter we sent to International Trade and Agriculture and Agribusiness we asked that Canada accept the sovereign decision of Mexico to secure and rebuild its historic maize-based social, cultural, and economic legacy.

Authors

Pam Woolridge

Pages
3
Published in
Canada