Following a meeting between U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and his counterpart Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos, Mexico confirmed that it will continue importing GM corn for industrial uses and for animal feed.

The reassuring decision followed a vaguely worded Executive Order that implied that GMO corn would not be imported into Mexico.  In a flight of fancy, President Andres Moreno Lopez Obrador claimed that Mexico could become self-sufficient in corn production by 2024.  Yellow corn from the U.S. is used for animal feed and for processing into corn-derived products.  White corn grown locally is consumed by the population of Mexico as a staple carbohydrate.

A disconcerting comment from Secretary Vilsack following the meeting related to apparent intentions by the Administration to “take a look at the seed industry and determine why it's structured the way it is”.  Given the expense of developing genetically modified strains of corn that are compatible with specific herbicides and insecticides, patent protection is necessary to encourage investment in R & D.  The U.S. Administration appears to disfavor consolidation in any aspect of livestock or grain production and apparently fails to recognize the efficiencies and economies associated with scale of production or the need for a return on investment.