Summary of 1. Soberanía alimentaria en México y renegociación del TLCAN

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

The video discusses the importance of food sovereignty, and the current renegotiation of the NAFTA trade agreement. It argues that the problem with the current trade model is that it is benefiting the very few while hurting the many. It promotes the idea of a different kind of globalization, one that benefits the people and the environment.

• 00:00:00 In this video, Victor Suárez, an engineer and agronomist, talks about the current state of food security and agricultural production in Mexico. He discusses the effects of NAFTA on Mexican agriculture, and how the country has become increasingly dependent on imports. Victor also discusses recent efforts in congress to pass food security and agricultural reforms.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses Mexico's loss of food sovereignty, and calls for the public to participate in a call-out to discuss the concepts of food sovereignty and food security. It states that food sovereignty refers to the ability of a nation to decide what agriculture and food production to have, as opposed to being dictated to by outside interests. Food security, in turn, refers to the permanent availability of nutritious food that satisfies human needs. This is achieved through respecting cultural and agricultural diversity, and through the government exercising its authority to make decisions on food production and consumption. Mexico has lost food sovereignty over the past three decades, handing food decisions over to commercial interests. This has led to widespread food insecurity around the world, particularly in Mexico.
• 00:10:00 Mexican agriculture is in decline, due in part to neoliberalism and free trade agreements like NAFTA. Small-scale farmers have lost autonomy and independence, and are no longer able to produce their own food. As a result, millions of people are malnourished, and 70% of the population has nutrition problems. This is a serious issue, and needs to be corrected. One way to correct Mexican agriculture is to migrate small-scale farmers to cities or the United States. However, this has not been successful in the past due to economic and social inequality. Large-scale, industrial agriculture has also been abandoned, leading to mass emigration of rural residents to cities and the United States. This is a serious problem, and has negative consequences in all areas of life.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses the Mexican government's decision in the 1990s not to sign the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because it felt that the agricultural sectors were too unequal to be included. It then goes on to talk about how the current Mexican government has continued this policy by not wanting to protect sensitive agricultural sectors from being excluded from the free trade agreement. This has led to criticism from Mexican farmers and the security of food and nutrition. The video argues that this free trade agreement has actually allowed for the influx of cheap food from the United States and Canada, while displacing Mexican production and causing prices of food to increase for consumers.
• 00:20:00 Mexico's ongoing food crisis is largely the result of decades of oligopolistic business practices that have resulted in increased food prices, greater food insecurity, and the loss of biodiversity. In 2013, a group of 53 individuals - including scientists, human rights defenders, and rural activist organizations - filed a demand with the Mexican government to stop the importation of genetically modified foods. This was the first time that individuals had brought a collective legal action against the government. To date, 14 courts have heard the case, and the companies Monsanto, Dupont, and Syngenta have all filed appeals. Despite the widespread public awareness of the food crisis, the debate over genetically modified food in Mexico has yet to begin. The food crisis in Mexico is the result of decades of business practices that have led to higher prices, greater food insecurity, and the loss of biodiversity. In 2013, a group of 53 individuals - including scientists, human rights defenders, and rural activist organizations - filed a demand with the Mexican government to stop the importation of genetically modified foods. This was the first time that individuals had brought a collective legal action against the government. To date, 14 courts have heard the case, and the companies Monsanto, Dupont, and Syngenta have all filed appeals. Despite the
• 00:25:00 The video examines the contamination of transgenes in Mexican food, analyzing other food products, such as appetizers, and also analyzing an important issue: the water that is visited by farmers most often and which is mostly connected to transgenic crops. The problem of health is not only due to the transgenic crops themselves, but also to this herbicide, which is linked to transgenic crops in 70% of cases. This glifosato or "pesticide" is commercially known as glyphosate, and is owned by Monsanto. It has been determined that it is carcinogenic. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Department of Nutrition and Food Safety has determined that it is a probable cancerogen. They say this is probable because it cannot be proven in humans, but it is a concern because of this herbicide's widespread use. At the same time, the predominance of transnational agricultural companies in Mexican agriculture is also part of the free trade policy that was discussed in the previous video. Another one of the principles of the NAFTA agreement was to update regulations, and in this regard, the intellectual property laws were modified. With the entrance of hybrid crops and transgenic crops, it has become easier for these companies to gain ownership over our seeds. As
• 00:30:00 Seeds have sought to control and appropriate this area, being Mexico's center of origin not only of maize and jitomate, but important species such as frijol, avocado, and calabaza. All of this biodiversity should be protected, as a common resource given as a gift, and as a gift from Mesoamerica, then there is great concern over the continued preservation of seed in the hands of peasants, and this is what is very important. This is why it is very important that campesinos are working to protect their seeds and preserve this great agricultural biodiversity in favor of the world. The campaign "SOS Maíz Sin Frijol" was started in 2007 with the goal of defending peasant agriculture in order to protect Mexico. We believe that if we save this great heritage in Mexico, we can return to producing our food, supporting the farmers who continue to produce food despite the TLCAN trade agreement. We have worked hard from the beginning to convince government officials that transgenic maize should not be grown because of farmers' skin color. We were
• 00:35:00 The video discusses the soberanía alimentaria issue in Mexico, and the need for a renegotiated NAFTA to allow for better food production in Mexico. Mexico has the potential to produce its own food, but lost this capability in the past thirty years. From a food production standpoint, it is a necessity not only for respect for farmers' rights to produce their own food, but also to reproduce their ways of life, cultures, and indigenous communities based on agriculture. As Mexico becomes increasingly dependent on external sources of food, it is also vulnerable to global market fluctuations and climate change, both of which will continue to affect food production in the world over the next several years and decades. To mitigate these risks, Mexico needs to regain food self-reliance. This can be achieved by encouraging small-scale production by the rural communities and indigenous villages that have been abandoned in recent years, and through the development of world-class scientific and technological experts in food production. In addition, government policies that support sustainable food production will also create jobs, stimulate the economy in rural areas, and improve the nutritional security of Mexican families.
• 00:40:00 The video discusses the issue of food sovereignty in Mexico, and the need for the government to renegotiate the NAFTA agreement in order to improve food security and end Mexico's dependency on foreign trade. The focus is on the role of peasant organizations in this process, as they have been advocating for a different type of trade agreement that does not include food items. The video also touches on the issue of government corruption, and the need for a change in policy in order to improve the country's economy and social situation.
• 00:45:00 This video discusses the current state of the Mexican food industry and the potential for a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The presenter argues that the current model of free trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada is not beneficial to all parties involved, and that a renegotiation is necessary in order to benefit Mexico in a way that does not negatively affect the United States or Canada. The government of Mexico is weak and struggling, making a renegotiation difficult, but eventually a deal may be reached after the Mexican elections in 2018. The presenter is against free trade as a model, believing that it has benefited only a few large businesses and billionaires at the expense of the majority of the population.
• 00:50:00 The video discusses the importance of food sovereignty, and the current renegotiation of the NAFTA trade agreement. It argues that the problem with the current trade model is that it is benefiting the very few while hurting the many. It promotes the idea of a different kind of globalization, one that benefits the people and the environment. The trade agreement currently being negotiated between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada is harmful to both Mexican farmers and U.S. consumers, as it allows for high tariffs on Mexican exports and punishes consumers by keeping products imported into the U.S. free of tariffs. The best way to achieve food sovereignty is to separate food production from the trade agreement, and to strengthen Mexican agriculture.