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Echoing the 1980s, in October 2024 recently-elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced an agriculture plan to boost food sovereignty by increasing the domestic production of dietary staples like beans and corn. Aiming to reduce reliance on imports and promote local foods central to Mexican culture, the initiative underscores a commitment to "producing what we eat," aligning with broader goals of food self-sufficiency and economic resilience.
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Mexican cuisine is internationally popular. Perhaps we think of tacos, mole, enchiladas, or stuffed chiles. All of these dishes have staples of traditional ingredients like corn, beans, complex sauces, and salsas.
While traditional elements of popular Mexican food have made their way around the globe, how Mexicans eat is not always reflective of its traditions. Due to rising costs and dietary changes influenced by globalization and international imports, the Mexican diet has gravitated from many of its staples.
AP News reports how consumers are increasingly moving toward wheat, instead of corn-based goods, after tortilla prices increased by 10% in 2022. Furthermore, while the country has some of the world’s best coffee, many Mexicans have turned from coffee beans toward instant coffee.
A decade-long campaign to control rising obesity rates, where 30% of adolescents and adults are reportedly obese in Mexico, has targeted cheap, snack food and sugary drinks sold in local stores and schools.
Mexican children hold the highest consumption rate of processed food in all of Latin America. The UN considers the child obesity rates in Mexico to be an emergency. In October 2024, new measures will be put in place for regulating the purchasing and consumption of junk food in schools.
According to the Mexican government, schools will be given six months to implement a plan that bans junk food altogether, or face hefty fines. Currently, junk food is available in 98% of schools.
A mere 4% of schools offer free drinking water to its students. Sugary drinks are one of the most consumed beverages across the country. Increased taxes on these products and warning labels have been part of government policies.
It’s reported that nearly 70% of Mexican children regularly consume sugary drinks, as well as fried and sugary snacks, making up a large portion of children’s caloric intake. Coupled with rising rates of diabetes and hypertension among young people, the government is concerned about the future of its children.
While efforts to curb increasing rates of obesity and weight-related illnesses haven’t made a great impact in terms of numbers just yet, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is hoping the country's new agricultural plan will change consumer behavior and boast both economic and health benefits.
In October 2024, Sheinbaum discussed a new agriculture plan that is set to make a significant impact on how Mexicans eat, with some people reflecting how it echoes patterns of the past.
In the 1980s, the country’s food production and distribution reflected some of the nation's classic ingredients, such as corn tortillas, beans, chocolate, and coffee. Many people relied on small government-run stores that provide domestic products for accessible prices.
Sheinbaum wants to boost those local stores, pour traditional ingredients into them produced in Mexico, and ensure that prices remain accessible for the people of Mexico. The concept of “producing what we eat” intends to achieve food sovereignty by upping production of beans and corn.
As part of an incentive program for farmers, Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué noted that farmers who grow corn for tortillas would receive pricing guarantees from the government.
Bean production is another area that the government is focusing on. While the majority of beans are imported, the Mexican government plans on boosting the domestic production of beans by 30% over the next six years. They will also conduct research to identify which beans yield higher amounts.
Critics are concerned that Mexicans won’t go back to dietary patterns of the past. Bean consumption has dropped by half in the last 40 years. Tortilla consumption has fallen by 25%. To redirect consumer behavior based solely on prices is likely to be a challenging task.
What is Mexico trying to achieve with its National Food Sovereignty Program? What does food sovereignty actually mean? The program intends to increase the production of its small and medium farms, specifically in areas with high poverty rates.
The plan says it will support 2.02 million farmers, specifically producing corn, beans, honey, sugar cane, rice, milk, sorghum, onions, tomatoes, chiles, coffee, and cocoa.
Approximately 1,200 low-income municipalities, where help and reform are desperately needed, and welcomed, are being prioritized by the government with this plan.
Like the example of guaranteed prices for farmers who produce corn for tortillas, part of the government’s plan is to provide the technical assistance needed, insurance, and credit to make their numbers a reality.
While the economics of food is at the center of Sheinbaum’s policy, her presidential campaign also included issues like water concessions, updating irrigation technology, and improving the national water service entity CONAGUA.
Due to climate change, Mexico has faced serious issues regarding water shortages. Prolonged periods of drought and heat waves have worsened already bleak conditions pertaining to access to water. Sheinbaum also plans to reform the National Water Law, which will feed directly into agricultural policies.
Approximately 80% of the country’s water is consumed by agricultural corporations. The production of corn, avocados, soy, coffee, and wheat is driving water consumption.
Mexico’s agricultural plan is projected to also include a ban on the planting of transgenic white corn. This particular crop has effects on both health and biodiversity.
Agribusiness corporations and multinational companies have influenced food production over the last several decades. This global trend has led to growing oil and food prices, impacting particularly poor areas.
The analysis of global food production trends, trade, and the transformation of dietary choices has great impact on diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Approaching the issues of production and access to food should take into account the socio-economic impacts.
Therefore, the plan that the Mexican government has put into place falls in line with the conclusions of a number of studies that ask governments to look at the multiple causes that are leading to an increase of preventable disease.
Policies based on supporting the production of food domestically, embracing and supporting local agricultural options, respecting local contexts, and engaging in these processes in a sustainable method is what studies show lead to food sovereignty.
By allowing populations to not only control but determine the systems of production and the trade of agricultural products, these strategic programs tackle issues on various levels.
Sources: (AP News) (Cornell University) (CBS News) (International Institute of Social Studies) (Transnational Institute) (United Nations) (Global Trade Alert) (Agri-Pulse) (Reuters)
See also: How the dairy industry negatively impacts climate change
Reviving tradition: How Mexico seeks to tackle food sovereignty challenges
Self-sufficiency and access to basic goods
LIFESTYLE Agriculture
Echoing the 1980s, in October 2024 recently-elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced an agriculture plan to boost food sovereignty by increasing the domestic production of dietary staples like beans and corn. Aiming to reduce reliance on imports and promote local foods central to Mexican culture, the initiative underscores a commitment to "producing what we eat," aligning with broader goals of food self-sufficiency and economic resilience.
Curious to find out more? Click through this gallery for more information.