GM Corn and Oaxaca A Debate

Statement #1 The population of the Earth is expected to increase from 6.7 billion people to 9 billion people by the year Therefore, we must use GM crops to increase the food supply even if it means native varieties of these crops become contaminated and extinct. If we don’t, people in the future will starve to death.

Statement #2 In Oaxaca, Farmer A and Farmer B are neighbors. Farmer A plants only criolla maiz in his fields because he believes GM corn is harmful. Farmer B plants GM corn that he’s gotten from Corporation XYZ. This makes Farmer A angry, and he and Farmer B begin to feud. Their wives and children stop speaking to each other.

Statement #3 The pollen from Farmer B’s GM seeds blow into Farmer A’s corn fields and contaminate his corn. Farmer A blames Farmer B for destroying his criolla maiz. Farmer A asks the town council to stop Farmer B from planting the GM corn. Everyone in the village enters the feud and begins to take sides.

Statement #4 Corporation XYZ hears about the problems between Farmer A and Farmer B and sends their lawyers down to investigate. When they see that Farmer A has GM corn growing in his field, they accuse him of stealing it and proceed to confiscate his land.

Statement #5 Journalists hear about Corporation XYZ’s confiscation of Farmer A’s land and write news stories about it. Worldwide opinion is against Corporation XYZ who are condemned as being greedy.

Statement #6 Corporation XYZ argues that Farmer A wouldn’t be in this mess if he had more community spirit and had planted the GM corn willingly like Farmer B. They say that it is Farmer A who is selfish for not caring about the people of the future who will starve without GM crops.