Food or Fuel: Globalization, BioFuel, and Sovereign Food Security in the Mexican Maize Industry

This paper analyzes the effects of globalized capitalism and internal economic culture shifts from small-scale farming-oriented to large-scale export-oriented farming have had on production and consumption in the Mexican maize (corn) industry, paying particular attention to how this shift has left local populations vulnerable to food scarcity and insecurity resulting from global corn market shifts. The research consists of a cross-comparison of previous works from a wide selection of scholarly journals, print, and online material, governmental and economic records, etc., as well as an analysis of the current situation of the Mexican corn industry and both its historical roots and future implications. The economic and political strategies the Mexican government used in attempting to increase profit and export industries, particularly in relation to agriculture, actually diminished the internal self-sufficiency of many Mexican communities and have led to harsh consequences for the agricultural sector that permeate the rest of society. This paper highlights the need for a reassessment of current policy, both domestically and multi-