GENETICALLY ALTERED CORN FOUND

Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat announced on September 18 that samples of native corn contaminated by genetically modified (GM) corn had been found in 15 different localities in Mexico. The announcement surprised and alarmed scientists, who fear the GM corn could edge out native corn and teosinte, the wild plant from which corn was developed. Mexico is considered the world’s center for genetic diversity in corn. The Mexican government has not approved GM corn for commercial planting, and scientists had expected native corn to remain pure. Researchers assume the contamination comes from seeds from the US, where GM corn has been in wide use since 1996. (New York Times 10/2/01)