Mexican biosafety: “serious acting”

Abstract

Beginning with the problem of the contamination of native corn in Mexico by transgenes, this article analyzes the evolution of Mexican biosafety policies. It shows how the problem of transgenic contamination was subject to a process of “distancing” by various government agencies, and how it has been removed from the public agenda. Biosafety policies can be analyzed as “serious acting” because they are not linked to any particular device to control the spread of genetically modified organisms. The analysis focuses on the ambiguous role of scientific actors and institutions.