Monsanto Co. wants to take over Mexico's heartland with GM corn

If their requests are approved by outgoing president Felipe Calderón, Monsanto Co. and DuPont will be planting 2,500,000 hectares (more than 6 million acres) of transgenic or GM maize in the heartland of Mexico.

According to ETC Group, the consequences will be devastating for the heart of the center of origin and diversity for maize, and also globally. 

Mexico is considered to be the global repository of maize genetic diversity, as scientists have identified thousands of peasant varieties of maize.

Should Monsanto's applications be approved, this would mark the world's first commercial-scale planting of GM varieties of a major food group, in it's center of origin.Basically this would wipe out all biodiversity, and all the various local varieties of maize, developed over around 7,000 years... read more and find out how you can help/sign petition.

Video: Telebriefing on animal feeding trial on GM corn & Roundup

The results of a two-year feeding trial were released yesterday, with details of tumors and mortality in rats, and a telebriefing conference was held which has now been released as an audio file.

As reported in Digital Journal yesterday, this is the first study of its kind, it is peer-reviewed, and was published in the American journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology.

The animal feeding trial was set up to study the lifetime effects of exposure to NK603 Roundup tolerant GM maize, and also to Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide and weedkiller... read more and listen to telebriefing conference.

Results of first animal feeding trial on GM maize & Roundup

This is the first study of its kind, it is peer-reviewed, and will be published in the American journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology. The results are not reassuring.

The first animal feeding trial, set up to study the lifetime effects of exposure to NK603 Roundup tolerant GM maize, and also to Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide and weedkiller, has been completed... read more.