Genetically modified corn, formerly a no-no by Mexican law, is now allowed with special permission on a kind of trial basis. Mexico (and the surrounding region) is, historically, the birthplace of corn, and it had totally banned all genetically modified variations until now, largely out of fear that GM would limit genetic diversity, thus making their entire crop more susceptible to famine, or any major disaster. Technically the usage has not been officially legalized, and the government has made no statement about future plans for GM corn.read more here
Agriculture still employs a fairly large sector of the Mexican workforce (18% in 2003), another indicator of the fact that it is not a fully developed country. Yet even in agriculture, modernization provides for greater efficiency and better production, a sign of potential growth overall in a country that definitely needs it. Their reservations about going full-speed farming revolution also shows economic prudence - as the "shock therapy" of Russia has shown, blindly jumping into reform is not necessarily as effective as gradual change.
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