Overview of Insecurity Alimentaria in Mexico
Despite government support, remittances, increased minimum wage, and slower inflation, millions of Mexican households still face difficulties in securing adequate and nutritious food, known as alimentary insecurity.
According to the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (ENIGH) by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), 12.85 million families, or 33% of the total households in Mexico, reported facing challenges in meeting their food needs over the past three months due to financial constraints or lack of non-monetary resources.
Insecurity Alimentaria: Definition and Impact
Alimentary insecurity occurs when an individual lacks regular access to sufficient nutritious and safe food for normal growth, development, and an active, healthy lifestyle. This issue can stem from food unavailability or insufficient resources to acquire it, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The consequences of alimentary insecurity are far-reaching, affecting not only health but also overall well-being. Inadequate access to nutritious foods hampers individuals’ ability to fully participate in economic and social activities, thus perpetuating cycles of poverty and marginalization, according to Diego Arias, the Agriculture and Food Practice Manager at the World Bank.
Extreme Measures to Secure Food
The ENIGH results indicate that 816,801 households (6.4% of the total) resorted to undesirable actions to obtain food, such as begging, sending children to work, or engaging in socially unacceptable practices.
Furthermore, 3.72 million households (29%) reported adults experiencing hunger and not eating, while 2.68 million households (20.8%) had members who skipped meals entirely or ate only once a day.
The FAO describes hunger as an uncomfortable or painful physical sensation caused by insufficient energy intake. It becomes chronic when an individual consistently consumes inadequate calories, preventing them from leading a normal, active, and healthy life.
Uberto Salgado Nieto, an economic researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), highlights that alimentary issues in Mexico are complex due to the coexistence of underdevelopment country problems and those of developed nations. While Mexico grapples with high levels of malnutrition and food access issues, it also faces significant obesity and diabetes rates. These challenges are exacerbated by factors like inequality and poverty.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is alimentary insecurity? It refers to the lack of regular access to sufficient nutritious and safe food for normal growth, development, and an active, healthy lifestyle due to food unavailability or insufficient resources.
- Which Mexican states have the highest alimentary insecurity rates? Guerrero has the highest rate at 57%, while Aguascalientes has the lowest at 19.1%.
- What are some extreme measures people take to secure food? These include begging, sending children to work, or engaging in socially unacceptable practices.
- How does hunger differ from food insecurity? Hunger is a physical sensation caused by insufficient energy intake, while food insecurity refers to the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally appropriate and sufficient foods.
- What factors contribute to alimentary insecurity in Mexico? These include malnutrition, food access issues, obesity and diabetes rates, inequality, and poverty.
