Summary of Sistema Alimentario en México

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

The video discusses the role of women in the Mexican food system, specifically highlighting the importance of indigenous women in the agricultural sector. It also discusses the problems that small- and medium-scale producers face when selling their products, as they are often taken advantage of by intermediaries. The video urges for more public dialogue on food and health norms in order to propose and debate regulations.

• 00:00:00 In Mexico, there is a growing consensus that the transformation of rural areas into hubs of employment and food production is crucial to reducing poverty and hunger. This perspective is recognized in the class discussion from last week, in which we discussed how the recent transition in rural areas has benefited those who remain rural, as well as those who have migrated to urban areas but still maintain some connection to rural life. The class also revisited the role of industry in rural development, focusing on how the growth of services has increased the importance of agriculture in rural livelihoods. Finally, the lecture discussed how the food system begins with production, encompassing everything from farming to food consumption. This overview of the food system then leads into the three key players in it: producers, those who transport and distribute food, and consumers. All of these elements are constantly interacting to create a healthy food system.
• 00:05:00 The food system in Mexico is discussed, with emphasis on consumer behavior. The different stages of the food supply chain are covered, from production to final consumption. The environment around food consumption is also discussed, including physical, economic, social, and cultural factors that influence consumer choices. Consumer behavior is also addressed, with emphasis on food purchasing, preparation, and eating. Finally, the role of the food system in determining a person's nutritional status is discussed.
• 00:10:00 Mexico has a large food deficit, with few fruits and vegetables, meat, cereals, or packaged industrial food. Most food is found in one place, and consumer behavior is influenced by convenience and personal preferences as well as cultural factors. The system of food comprises people, not institutions. The three components of this system—production, distribution, and consumption—interact, and consumer behavior involves eating, drinking, and exercising. Food security is not hidden; sudden shortages can be disguised with momentary food shortages, but in reality, we are living in a food insecurity situation. Hunger is also a result of the overall system of food, as well as the influence of food on diabetes, hypertension, and chronic diseases. The focus of food systems is to highlight the participation of women in the productive and laboral arena in rural areas. This is an important component of a good food system, as it is essential to development and the empowerment of women.
• 00:15:00 In Mexico, the population has been shifting away from rural areas, which has led to a decrease in the population in rural areas. This decrease is especially seen in rural areas designated as those with a population of 2500 or less. Between 1990 and 2015, the population in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants increased by 47%, while the population in rural areas decreased by 29%. The decrease in the population in rural areas is due, in part, to the migration of rural residents to urban areas. In 2015, 27.5 million Mexican citizens lived in rural areas, down from 29% in 1990. This stability contrasts with the increasing trend of urbanization, as seen in the increasing percentage of women who live in urban areas. The percentage of women who live in rural areas and own land has increased by 30% over the last three decades, from 1% in 1990 to 764,000 in 2015.
• 00:20:00 The video discusses the importance of women's participation in rural and agricultural work in Mexico, with special emphasis on indigenous women, who make up 7% of the population and 18% of rural residents. Mexico's indigenous population owns 22 million hectares of land, more than half of all rural land. This is because Mexico's indigenous people have conserved and used natural resources for centuries, while the majority of the population has not. This is why it is so important to include indigenous people in Mexico's food system, as they are the majority of landowners in areas with natural resources.
• 00:25:00 In this video, the municipality of Queretaro is discussed, highlighting that, although many rural areas are still considered periurban, the majority of family incomes come from non-agricultural activities, such as working in industrial parks or construction. As a result, agricultural income has decreased over time and government-provided social assistance programs have taken its place. In 2000-2008, rural household incomes from agricultural activities accounted for 29% of total income, but this decreased to 20% of total income in 2008. For women and men, the percentage of income derived from non-agricultural activities is different; for women, it is 44%, while for men it is 41%. This gap widens even more for those aged between 15 and 24, where 45% of women compared to 15.5% of men are engaged in the workforce. Female workers who do not have a formally-employed male partner are not considered active workers, and are not protected by labor laws. This clip discusses the importance of looking beyond rural areas, and considers the work that women do who do not have a formal job.
• 00:30:00 Mexico's food system is reliant on formal education for children who are responsible for feeding their families all that work, and rural areas are particularly struggling due to the lack of paid labor. This gender gap is very wide, with women earning very little for the work they do. This is extremely alarming, and diversities in regional areas are also very limited. Mexican territory is heavily third-world, with production areas characterized by arid land or arid land with irrigation production on a large scale. Remote areas are consumer areas, but have close connections to investment in agricultural transportation and distribution. I thought about food production in the north of Mexico, where zones of production will be characterized by either being arid or having crops that can be grown in arid land, but not both. Central-south Mexico has a more temperate climate, and zones in rural areas are more isolated. The majority of small producers and medium producers are in the central-south, but these zones are going to be affected by limitations in connectivity with Sonora, which has a developed agricultural industry due to its mountainous geography. Urban areas are going to be the main consumers of food in Mexico, and the center of the country has a greater variety of crops and livestock than the other regions
• 00:35:00 Mexico's food distribution system is complex, but still falls short of the national nutritional needs. There are 4 main food zones, but the behavior of people in each region is very different. In the north, production is lower than in the south, but more connections exist in the center of the country. Specialized stores have a greater presence in the south and east, while supermarkets dominate in the north. Mexicans buy most of their food at open markets, but the south and east have a greater presence of specialized stores. Producers in the north of Mexico often sell their crops to intermediaries, which makes it difficult for consumers to directly purchase the producer's products. This is especially the case for small producers in the north. The structure of food distribution for processed and fresh food shows a great concentration in the food industry, with a majority of products being sold through intermediaries. There is a significant concentration in the sectors of bread, flour, milk, and other basic food products. In contrast, fresh fruits and vegetables, which make up a large part of the national food basket, are sold mainly through centralized stores. This reduces the producer's opportunities to sell their products at a fair price, and makes them increasingly vulnerable to risks. There is a
• 00:40:00 The video discusses the Mexican food system, focusing on the small-scale producer. It states that when it comes to food, the government cannot represent everyone's interests equally, and this will be reflected in the high participation of intermediaries. Small producers typically have limited options for selling their products, and this will be reflected in the high prices of products sold by intermediaries. The producer then has to deal with intermediaries who buy the products at a very low price and give the producer very little money for them. This problem is most often faced by small- and medium-sized producers in rural Mexico, who sell products processed at a rate of 214 kg per capita annually. There are currently seven food conventions in Congress, but they do not consider the agricultural sector as a whole. The government, meanwhile, does not have a position on food. There are eight social welfare laws in place, but none that specifically deal with the rural sector. This fragmentation of the reality leads to contradictory decisions, limited resources, and a decrease in government action. The biggest issue with this system is that it creates a multiplicity of policies and leads to a decrease in economic efficiency. The most relevant food law is the law on sustainable rural development, which was published in 2001 and focuses on improving the
• 00:45:00 This video discusses Mexico's development strategy, focusing on rural areas. The goal of the rural development law is to coordinate actions of different government agencies operating in rural areas to reduce duplication. The main idea of the law is to create synergies between public institutions designated to work in rural development. The program special concurrente for rural sustainable development was designed to encompass all government resources that eight government departments exercise in terms of rural lord, and it operates in two Secretariats. The program is divided into ten sectors and has 14 programs. It has had limited success because, since 1992, the per capita income of Mexican citizens has remained stagnant while the incidence of food poverty has not had a cause. From 1932 to 2016, work has been done to develop a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to food security. We have not seen progress in the overall welfare of Mexican citizens, and the people continue to live in poverty. The three policies that will limit the impact of public policy are focused primarily on private individual development, regressive taxation, and lack of understanding of the objective population by government officials. These policies create a dispersal of interventions and make it difficult to address the problem because it is addressed only by producers who really need help. Furthermore, bureaucratic levels have prevented many people from
• 00:50:00 The Mexican food system is designed to improve access to quality and affordable food, to nourish the population living in urban and rural areas, and to expand economic opportunities for low-income residents. This edition of the journal focuses strictly on economic aspects of food systems while taking into account social and cultural factors. The protection social systems with food options of inclusion productive and good will play a key role in achieving this goal. Gender equality is key to providing food security for rural households experiencing poverty and insecurity in food intake. Agricultural production for small and medium-sized producers needs different policy instruments that support their access to inputs and support technical assistance. Consolidated producers of agricultural and food products with surplus production need other types of policy instruments not those of agricultural producers with a consolidated income. It is essential to strengthen the conceptualization of the food security of the Sultan food system from production to consumption, and to have a well-informed Christian state with regard to the food system's influence on a very religious state. It is therefore recommended, for example, to undertake social marketing campaigns promoting nutritional education, physical activity strategies, dietary changes in style of life, and health services with improved infant and maternal nutrition practices.
• 00:55:00 The etiquetting of food is an important step in the Mexican food system and has a lot to do with the food system and creating public agendas on food and health subsidies that are given to healthy foods. There is no promotion of physical activity spaces and there are no programs to help children learn how to eat healthily. Educational programs on food should be a fundamental part of protecting children and promoting a healthy lifestyle, and this requires adjusting the food system framework to be defined by an agency or specialized organism. The speaker urges for more public dialogue on food and health norms in order to propose and debate regulations.