The Political Economy of the Global Food System: Socioeconomic Implications in Mexico (1994 – 2023)

Abstract

The unprecedented rise in ultra-processed food and beverage consumption, non-communicable diseases and environmental degradation in Mexico since the implementation of NAFTA has raised concerns about our modern day food system and the regulatory framework governing the food industry. This research paper aims to explore the political economy of the neoliberal food system through the lens of Social Structures of Accumulation theoretical framework. This approach allows for analyzation of the interconnection between economic, political and social factors shaping the capitalist food system over time and gives a comprehensive analysis of how policies and the interplay between dominant economic structures, the state, and class struggle give rise to the proliferation of non-communicable diseases and environmental degradation in Mexico. It examines the role governmental and food industry actors play in international policy-making for being a determinant of power for the expansion of major food and agricultural corporations, often referred to as “Big Food”.