San José bans genetically modified foods

In a unanimous vote Tuesday the Municipal Council of San José passed a motion banning transgenic food from the canton. The new measure prohibits the sale, consumption and growth of genetically modified food within the municipality.

The municipality’s decision comes less than a month following the decision from Costa Rica’s National Biosecurity Technical Commission to allow multinational company Monsanto to grow genetically modified corn in the country.

Citizen Action Party leader Daguer Hernández introduced the measure last week and expressed his hope that other municipalities will pass similar motions.

“These motions show at the Municipal Council level that everyone agrees this should be the national position,” Hernández told members of the press on Tuesday. “This motion declares us free of the consumption and growth of GMOs and shows our support for other cantons who have passed the measure.”

Currently 26 municipal governments across the country have adopted the ban.