Ten years seem to be nothing, but for several Rarámuri communities from the Sierra [Mountains] of Chihuahua, it is a timespan that has been filled with their fight to defend their corn--the corn that took hundreds of years to adapt to the cold, to drought, to the altitude, to the rocky soils.
Since 2003, the communities of Magulliachi, El Consuelo, Bacaburéachi, Pasigochi and Rocheachi in the municipalities of Carichi and Guachochi of the Sierra Tarahumara have participated in random sampling to determine if native corn planted in their fields had been contaminated by toxins from transgenic [GM] corn.
The sampling activity was organized by CECCAM [private soil laboratory], CENAMI [international aid organization for indigenous peoples], the ETC Group [environmental action group] and CONTEC Community Technical Consulting. The investigations revealed that 33 percent of the samples were contaminated by GM corn. The source of contagion: corn distributed by DICONSA [program of Secretariat of Social Development for alleviating poverty] in their community stores and from food aid provided by private institutions.
Since then, indigenous governors, civil associations and small farmer organizations have denounced the contamination of native corn. In 2004 they sent a letter supported by over 1,800 signatures asking the Governor of Chihuahua to declare the Sierra Tarahumara free of transgenics and that food aid be organized based on corn purchased from local producers to ensure native corn with fair prices and in support of local markets. They demanded labeling of corn entering the Tarahumara both for human consumption and for delivery of ground corn for animal consumption. Neither demand was met.
In 2006 CONTEC submitted their opinion to SENESICA [health, food quality program under Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock (SAGARPA)] against applications by Monsanto, Pioneer and Dow Agro for permits for pilot plantings of transgenic corn in the irrigated areas of Chihuahua arguing that the:
The Barzón, the Center for Women's Human Rights and a state Deputy also filed a complaint with the PGR [Justice System]. The following year, the SAGARPA recognized the illegal planting of GM corn in Cuauhtémoc and Namiquipa, and ordered the seizure and destruction of a few tons.
Then came the terrible drought of 2011 and with it, again, food aid. The previously mentioned communities and associations documented that corn distributed by DICONSA was bought from the Producers Union (UNIPRO), marketer of Mennonite farmers in the Cuauhtémoc valleys, under the influence of Monsanto, Dow Agro and Bayer. In addition, it was learned that the food aid of corn introduced by private institutions was donated by the Syngenta company of Guadalajara.
The militancy of the indigenous communities, rural organizations and civil associations has failed to stop the offensive of transnational agribusinesses and their allies.
The SAGARPA has progressively granted experimental and pilot permissions for the planting of GM corn to farmers cooperating with the corporations in the municipalities of Namiquipa, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero and Buenaventura in Chihuahua. From 2009-2011 few permits were granted, but in 2013 permit applications shot up in twenty-eight of the state's municipalities.
When another drought happened in Chihuahua, ... , transgenic promoters attacked simultaneously on multiple fronts: they
On the urgent food aid, Monsanto, Syngenta and others are making hunger their public relations campaign to improve their image while introducing transgenic corn into the "assisted" areas. It is the same as the intrusion of Pepsico and Nestle into the Crusade Against Hunger.
In terms of production capacity for corn in adverse conditions, the State policy is to destroy local and community capacities. There is no solid program that supports the local production of corn in the mountains; there is nothing to encourage the proliferation of small works of crop and water retention.
And in regard to seeds, the almost heroic work of the Field Experimentation of the Sierra of Chihuahua of the INIFAP [research, science arm of Secretariat of Agriculture... (SAGARPA)] in rescuing varieties of native corn, not only is it not supported by federal and state governments, but it is hampered and condemned to starvation, since technical staff has been reduced and replacement of those retiring is prevented; moreover, it deals with all types of resource shortages.
Indigenous communities, small farmers' organizations and civil associations are demanding a State policy to protect native corn and to promote both qualitative and quantitative improvement in its production. Rather than 'gifts' of strange [GM] corn, they seek to develop the ability to produce their own corn, although initially it may be small. Spanish original
In 2006 CONTEC submitted their opinion to SENESICA [health, food quality program under Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock (SAGARPA)] against applications by Monsanto, Pioneer and Dow Agro for permits for pilot plantings of transgenic corn in the irrigated areas of Chihuahua arguing that the:
- Tarahumara region is the center of the origin of corn [maize], and
- Planting of transgenics in the irrigated agricultural areas surrounding their region puts their mountain fields at risk, given that no methods exist to prevent contamination by pollen or by seed dispersal.
The Barzón, the Center for Women's Human Rights and a state Deputy also filed a complaint with the PGR [Justice System]. The following year, the SAGARPA recognized the illegal planting of GM corn in Cuauhtémoc and Namiquipa, and ordered the seizure and destruction of a few tons.
Then came the terrible drought of 2011 and with it, again, food aid. The previously mentioned communities and associations documented that corn distributed by DICONSA was bought from the Producers Union (UNIPRO), marketer of Mennonite farmers in the Cuauhtémoc valleys, under the influence of Monsanto, Dow Agro and Bayer. In addition, it was learned that the food aid of corn introduced by private institutions was donated by the Syngenta company of Guadalajara.
The militancy of the indigenous communities, rural organizations and civil associations has failed to stop the offensive of transnational agribusinesses and their allies.
The SAGARPA has progressively granted experimental and pilot permissions for the planting of GM corn to farmers cooperating with the corporations in the municipalities of Namiquipa, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero and Buenaventura in Chihuahua. From 2009-2011 few permits were granted, but in 2013 permit applications shot up in twenty-eight of the state's municipalities.
When another drought happened in Chihuahua, ... , transgenic promoters attacked simultaneously on multiple fronts: they
- Insisted that their seeds are best suited to withstand the droughts; they
- Intensified pressure for approval of planting experimental fields; and they
- Arranged to "donate" hundreds of tons of contaminated GM corn as food aid.
On the urgent food aid, Monsanto, Syngenta and others are making hunger their public relations campaign to improve their image while introducing transgenic corn into the "assisted" areas. It is the same as the intrusion of Pepsico and Nestle into the Crusade Against Hunger.
In terms of production capacity for corn in adverse conditions, the State policy is to destroy local and community capacities. There is no solid program that supports the local production of corn in the mountains; there is nothing to encourage the proliferation of small works of crop and water retention.
And in regard to seeds, the almost heroic work of the Field Experimentation of the Sierra of Chihuahua of the INIFAP [research, science arm of Secretariat of Agriculture... (SAGARPA)] in rescuing varieties of native corn, not only is it not supported by federal and state governments, but it is hampered and condemned to starvation, since technical staff has been reduced and replacement of those retiring is prevented; moreover, it deals with all types of resource shortages.
Indigenous communities, small farmers' organizations and civil associations are demanding a State policy to protect native corn and to promote both qualitative and quantitative improvement in its production. Rather than 'gifts' of strange [GM] corn, they seek to develop the ability to produce their own corn, although initially it may be small. Spanish original