New rules expected to be published here next month will permit experimental cultivation of genetically modified corn, ending a moratorium on such plantings that was imposed in 1998 amid concern about genetic contamination of Mexico’s native maize. The prospect has rekindled controversy between those who see transgenic farming as a long-overdue step towards modernization, and those who view it as a potential catastrophe for Mexico, the world’s most important center of corn biodiversity. A draft of the Regime for the Special Protection of Maize is currently posted on a government site for public comment. It regulates the authorization of permits for each of three stages of corn cultivation—experimental, pilot and commercial—as well as the procedures for monitoring and applying sanctions. Stemming from... [Log in to read more]