Browse Data and Analysis

On March 17, 2025, Mexico adopted a constitutional amendment banning domestic cultivation of “genetically modified” corn

The only genetically engineered (GE) product in commercial production is GE cotton, with obsolete seeds and only in restricted areas. There has been no advance in plant or animal biotechnology development and production, mainly due to policy and regulatory constraints.

Production of genetically engineered products (primarily cotton for seed and pink pineapples) is expected to increase in 2025 as new cotton events are expected to be approved by the National Technical Biosafety Commission.

Following the June 2024 election of Claudia Sheinbaum as the next President of Mexico, the sitting President Andres Manuel López Obrador expressed intent to move forward with constitutional reforms in the September 2024 legislative session.

Industry experts expect a November 11, 2023, update to the Costa Rican biotechnology regulatory framework will facilitate utilization of innovative biotechnologies and reduce barriers to common applications of modern biotechnology.

Mexico's biotechnology regulatory policy environment has become increasingly uncertain under the current administration. The government has not approved any applications for genetically engineered (GE) products for food and feed use since May 2018 and has not approved any permits for planting GE crops since 2019.

Genetically engineered crop area planted increased in 2023, though it remained small and limited to cotton for seed and pink pineapples.

On February 13, 2023, Mexico published a modified 2023 Corn Decree in the Diario Official Federal (DOF). The new Presidential decree abrogates the 2020 GE Corn Decree and is immediately effective on February 14, 2023.

Mexico has not officially reported any approvals for genetically engineered (GE) agricultural products for food and feed use since May 2018. Additionally, Mexico has not approved any permit applications for cultivation of GE crop (cotton and alfalfa)...

Though area planted with genetically engineered crops continued to fall in 2022, expanded operations of another cottonseed producer, opportunities to increase pink pineapple exports, and a new government opposed to ‘red tape’ could reverse this trend in 2023. While neither livestock nor other animal producers in Costa Rica appear interested in animal biotechnology applications at this time, a regulatory structure exists.

Mexico has not approved any biotechnology food or feed products since May 2018 and there is no official indication when approvals will resume.

On December 31, Mexico published a final decree that calls for a phase-out of use of both glyphosate and genetically modified (GE) corn for human consumption in Mexico.