Mexico relaxed in a new decree some of the terms under which it regulates glyphosate imports with respect to a previous decree, published on December 31, 2020.

The previous decree, which was abrogated, instructed the agencies and entities of the Federal Public Administration to refrain from acquiring, using, distributing, promoting and importing glyphosate or agrochemicals containing it as an active ingredient, in the framework of public programs or any other government activity, within the scope of their competences and as of the entry into force of this Decree. This paragraph was eliminated.

Now, the new decree establishes that the alternatives implemented for the gradual substitution of the use, sale, distribution, promotion and importation of glyphosate and agrochemicals used in Mexico that contain it as an active ingredient, must allow maintaining agricultural production and be safe for human health, the biocultural diversity of the country and the environment and free of toxic substances that represent acute, chronic or subchronic hazards.

Glyphosate imports

It also instructs that with the purpose of reducing the possible impact of the gradual substitution of the importation, production, distribution and use of glyphosate in agriculture, the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment and Natural Resources shall guarantee, promote and implement sustainable and culturally appropriate alternatives to the use of glyphosate, which may include the use of other agrochemicals that are safe for health, biological or organic products, weed control practices that dispense with the use of herbicides, as well as the intensive use of labor and other agroecological practices.

In this regard, the previous decree stated: In order to reduce the possible impact of the gradual substitution of the use and importation of glyphosate in commercial agriculture, the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and of the Environment and Natural Resources will promote and implement sustainable and culturally appropriate alternatives to the use of glyphosate, either with other agrochemicals of low toxicity, with biological or organic products, with agroecological practices or with intensive use of labor, which are safe for human health, the biocultural diversity of the country and the environment.

The new decree establishes that the National Council of Science and Technology, within the scope of its competence, will coordinate, articulate, promote and support scientific research, technological developments and innovations that will allow it to support and propose, to the secretariats mentioned in the previous paragraph, agroecological and healthy alternatives and practices that will make it possible to dispense with glyphosate.

Alternatives

In order to comply with this provision, the National Council of Science and Technology may convene institutions belonging to the sector it heads and other institutions of higher education or public research centers with competence in the matter.

It adds that the instances set forth in this article, within the scope of their competence, may invite organized groups of agricultural producers, the agrochemical industry, associations of agrochemical users and organizations of producers of bio-inputs and organic agricultural inputs to participate in the design, promotion or implementation of the alternatives mentioned in the first, second and third paragraphs of this article.