Summary
On September 20, 2022, the Congress of the State of Mexico (one of Mexico’s 32 states) passed the “Law for the Promotion and Protection of Local Corn Varieties in the State of Mexico”. The law declares the protection of Native Corn varieties for their intrinsic value as Biocultural and Food Heritage of the State of Mexico—which it defines as: “the value in itself of Native Corn that allows the vindication of native peoples and indigenous communities, and its ecosystem conservation.” The law seeks to “promote its regeneration, existence, development, evolution, improvement and constant diversification in its regional communities and ecosystems”, and states that the Government of the State of Mexico will cooperate with Mexico’s federal authorities to ensure that local corn varieties in the state are free of genetically engineered (GE) corn. The law also provides support for communities and guardians of Native Corn that have originally cultivated, conserved, and safeguarded Native Corn for its intrinsic value for millennia through Indigenous procedures. The law was initiated by members of the Morena party, the political party of President López Obrador, and was approved unanimously by the full state-level Congress.
This legislation follows similar federal-level legislation passed in 2020 that also recognized protection and promotion of Native Corn. However, the final text of that legislation failed to recognize its intrinsic value—instead recognizing only its economic and human interests.