Dear Editor:

Although President Joe Biden, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated their commitments to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) in a recent meeting, an issue of great importance to Minnesota corn farmers was not resolved. In 2020, Mexican President Obrador announced a ban against importing all biotech corn into Mexico, including white corn used primarily for human food products and yellow feed corn. Minnesota corn farmers have joined with National Corn Growers Association and other commodity groups to encourage the Biden administration to prevent Obrador’s edict from implementation and to uphold USMCA.

Not only would such a ban hurt U.S. corn farmers overall, it would also have a significant impact on our state economy. In Minnesota, corn accounts for more than 14% of the state’s total agricultural exports, and Mexico is Minnesota’s top market for corn exports. Corn exports from Minnesota accounts for more than 8,000 jobs in Minnesota and $478 million in gross state product.

Family farms like mine, all over the state of Minnesota, that produce locally grown corn for global export will face financial hardship if Obrador’s threat becomes reality.

A ban on any form of biotech corn would also delay commercialization of newer, more environmentally sustainable biotech crops, denying farmers access to new technology and much-needed productivity gains. I am joining Minnesota corn farmers all over the state in calling for the Biden Administration to move forward with filing a dispute resolution under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement immediately to head off the devastating impact that would have global food security implications if Mexico is allowed to move forward with the proposed ban.

Doug Albin

Clarkfield

— Doug Albin is a farmer and chairman of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council