Potencial económico y agronómico de la adopción de semillas de maíz genéticamente modificado en México

Abstract

ResumenA partir de la evidencia generada en la adopción de soya genéticamente modificada, realizamos un análisis a través de paneles de productores en cinco sistemas de producción de maíz de riego y temporal en México, con el propósito de determinar el potencial económico y agronómico de adopción de semillas de maíz genéticamente modificada en la producción. Los resultados muestran que el potencial económico y agronómico de adopción del maíz genéticamente modificado es "medio" en los sistemas de producción de nivel tecnológico intermedio, mientras que en los de nivel bajo y alto el uso de la tecnología transgénica es poco favorable. Las condiciones bajo las cuales se desarrollan las prácticas agronómicas de la producción de maíz, la proporción de la inversión destinada al control de plagas, enfermedades y malezas asociadas al uso de semillas genéticamente modificadas no son favorecidas por la adopción de semillas transgénica, puesto que la proporción de la inversión económica en estas prácticas en comparación a otras realizadas en el sistema son menores en todos los sistemas de producción analizados; además, las características y la forma de realización de las prácticas agronómicas asociadas al sistema de producción y nivel tecnológico no favorecen la reducción de prácticas agronómicas derivado de las características conferidas a las semillas genéticamente modificadas. AbstractFrom the evidence generated in the adoption of genetically modified soybeans, we conducted an analysis through panels' producers in five production systems of corn irrigation and temporary in Mexico, in order to determine the economic and agronomic potential adoption genetically modified corn seed production. The results show that economic and agronomic potential adoption of genetically modified maize is "medium" in production systems intermediate technological level, while in the low and high use of transgenic technology is unfavorable. The conditions under which agronomic practices in maize production are developed, the proportion of investment in the control of pests, diseases and weeds associated with the use of genetically modified seeds are not favored by the adoption of seeds genetically modified, since the proportion of economic investment in these practices compared to other made in the system are lower in all production systems analyzed; Additional features and embodiment of the agronomic practices associated with the production system and technological level does not favor the reduction of agronomic practices derived from the characteristics conferred to genetically modified seeds.

Relationship between Maize Seed Productivity in Mexico between 1983 and 2018 with the Adoption of Genetically Modified Maize and the Resilience of Local Races

“…The maize that is imported in Mexico comes from the USA [7], so authors such as [24,25] maintain that the aversion of the Mexican population toward transgenic maize is unjustified, since the deficit between production and consumption is actually covered with transgenic maize. In this regard, [4] found that the cultivation of native races in Mexico contributes to imports of the grain being lower and ensures food security of the regions with greatest social backwardness, where, in addition, the native races show higher resilience to the rainfed environmental conditions, which has allowed them to remain in the preference of subsistence producers [26,27].…”

“…However, when using the decomposition of production growth factors model proposed by [14], the apparent efficiency in the production system did not consider that the growth of grain maize productivity between six-year periods presented a decreasing trend, since it went from 16.4% in 1995-2000 compared to 1989-1994, to 6.9% in 2013-2018 compared to 2007-2012 (Table 5). According to [8,25] the growth from 1983 to 2000 is explained by the strengthening of the policies for centralized support in agricultural production, technological research, guarantee prices, use of improved varieties and fertilizers, supports for commercialization, credit, and agricultural insurance. The decrease in productivity since 2001 coincides with a stage of policies for decentralized support to the farmland, where the private sector participated in technological changes, research, dissemination, and promotion of input use; and where producers made their own decisions about the destination of the subsidies contributed by the government [25].…”

“…According to [8,25] the growth from 1983 to 2000 is explained by the strengthening of the policies for centralized support in agricultural production, technological research, guarantee prices, use of improved varieties and fertilizers, supports for commercialization, credit, and agricultural insurance. The decrease in productivity since 2001 coincides with a stage of policies for decentralized support to the farmland, where the private sector participated in technological changes, research, dissemination, and promotion of input use; and where producers made their own decisions about the destination of the subsidies contributed by the government [25]. In this regard, [18] found that the agricultural competitiveness of the local and subsistence production systems is strengthened as the government establishes mechanisms to monitor and evaluate, since in most cases the producers channel part of the subsidies as a complement to the family income.…”

“…González-Estrada and Alferes-Varela [28] found that the main problems in maize cultivation in Mexico are associated with the low productivity per the surface planted, a problem that GMO maize does not resolve, since the increase in field yields is not economically profitable with regard to the increase in production costs [24]. Hernández-Hernández et al [25] found that the economic and agronomic potential of the adoption of genetically modified maize seeds in Mexico has been unviable because the improved seeds proposed solve problems related to resistance to glyphosate and corn budworm, factors that historically have not been a problem in the production of grain maize in Mexico.…”