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Harvested native maize in Mexico.
GM soya field in Brazil.
Our food, our future:
GM dilemmas in the
developing world:
Young person’s depiction of transgenic vs native maize.
Advert for GM crop in Brazil.
Interview with Dr Susana
Carro-Ripalda
DR SUSANA CARRO-RIPALDA is a
lead researcher on the multidisciplinary
project GMFuturos which is investigating
the debates, perceptions and practices
surrounding GM (Genetically Modified)
crops in Mexico, Brazil, and India. The
project has conducted case studies in
each country, engaging with groups
that are normally marginalised in GM
debates, such as small-scale farmers,
indigenous and religious groups,
women’s associations and many others.
The project seeks to develop a holistic
understanding of the conflict surrounding
the development, implementation and
governance of GM.
In your research for GMFuturos you
have focused on three rising economic
powers: India, Brazil and Mexico. In these
three countries how did stakeholders
in GM, such as farmers, scientists and
consumers, respond to the way it was
introduced?
From Mexico and Brazil the big message
is that GM crops and foods are not
what people are asking for or desiring.
It’s not what people are choosing for
themselves, their future, their children’s
future or for agriculture. In our research
we found that even GM scientists often
complain that their voices are not being
listened to. But the opposition appears
to be most vocal in Mexico. Our research
found that Mexican people, when asked,
expressed profound concerns with GM
agriculture and foods, for biosafety and
political economy reasons. The express
unease with the idea of seeds created in
laboratories, because they do not know
what they are and because they do not
trust the seed companies who are creating
them. In addition, they feel that the
Mexican government is trying to impose
GM crops on the Mexican population with
the message that they are safe and good –
which people reject. Whilst in Mexico GM
appears to be a controversy with no
end in sight, in Brazil GM crops have
been widely approved since 2005.
How does Mexico compare to Brazil?
Brazil probably has the soundest GM
regulation of all three countries. It was
implemented the same year as Mexico’s.
Whilst in Mexico it was a controversy
that now cannot be resolved, in Brazil
it was done very quietly. Of the three
countries studi