On October 7 the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) named members to a 16 person Advisory Group to investigate the GE corn contamination in Mexico. The formal request to investigate the contamination was presented to the CEC by indigenous, campesinos, and other civil society organizations on April 24. The Secretariat of the CEC, established under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to promote environmental cooperation between NAFTA countries, and implement the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), notified NAFTA member countries on June 20th that the Commission would study the impacts of Genetically Engineered corn on native species, as well as carry out a nationwide genetic testing project of native corn samples for contamination. The Advisory Group will guide the CEC Secretariat's corn investigation and will participate in the development of the special report to the CEC's Council.

While the CEC's acceptance to review the case represents an important institutional step forward to investigate the contamination of native Mexican corn, the Commission's recent naming of the Advisory Group for the corn case, marked a serious reversal. Included in the Advisory Group are several individuals that represent strong interests for the biotechnology industry creating clear cases of conflict of interest and rendering them unacceptable members of the Group.

For example, named member to the Group, José Luis Solleiro Rebolledo is the President of AgroBIO, a biotechnology lobby group that represents corporations like Monsanto, Dupont, Aventis and Syngenta in Mexico. Two of AgroBIO's lobbying efforts focus on eliminating Mexico's moratorium on the commercial cultivation of GM crops and limiting national legislative initiatives on GM product labeling and Biosafety laws. Other Advisory Group members, like Peter H. Raven and Luis Rafael Herrera-Estrella, represent strong biotech interests, like Monsanto and Grupo Pulsar, respectively.

What can you do?

Greenpeace Mexico and Cemda (Mexican Environmental Law Center) have drafted a letter to the CEC Secretariat to protest the Advisory Group's pro-biotech composition, demanding the removal of Group members with conflict of interest, and replace them with independent scientist with experience in corn issues.

Sign the letter below and it will be faxed to the CEC Secretariat in Quebec, Canada.