Corn Meets Maize: Food Movements and Markets in MexicoThis compelling book explores the intimate connections between people and plants, agriculture and cooking, and the practical work of building local food networks and transnational social movements. Lauren E. Baker uses corn and maize to consider central debates about food security and food sovereignty, biodiversity and biotechnology, culture and nature, as well as globalization and local responses, in Mexico and beyond. For the author, corn symbolizes the commoditization of agriculture and the cultural, spiritual, ecological and economic separation of people from growing, cooking, and sharing food. Conversely, maize represents emerging food movements that address contemporary health, environmental, and economic imperatives while rooted in agricultural and culinary traditions. The meeting of corn and maize reveals the challenge of, and possibilities for, reclaiming food from its commodity status in the global context of financial turmoil, food crises, and climate change. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Maize in Mexico | 29 |
Chapter 3 Nuestro Maíz | 73 |
Chapter 4 Itanoní Tortillería | 99 |
Chapter 5 The Michoacán Centre for Agribusiness | 131 |
Chapter 6 Biocultural Agrifood Relations | 147 |
| 167 | |
| 183 | |
About the Author | 189 |
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Common terms and phrases
actors agricultural biodiversity agricultural practices agrodiversity conservation agroecological Amado and Gabriela ANEC ANEC’s Antal articulated Atotonilco biocultural agrifood relations biotechnology campesino Centre for Agribusiness challenges civil society organizations comm create criollo maize crop improvement cultural describes eaters ecological economic environmental Esteva example farm flavors flour flow focus food movements food networks food security food sovereignty food systems Friedmann Fulvio genetic diversity genetic resources GM corn grain growing hybrid Ianuary illustrates impact importance of maize indigenous issues Itanoni Tortilleria landraces linked livelihoods Maiz project maize agrodiversity maize diversity maize in Mexico maize landraces masa medium-scale farmers Mexican Mexico City Michoacan Michoacan Centre milpa NAFTA neoliberal neoliberal policy nixtamal Oaxaca Oaxaca City ofthe percent plant breeding political producer groups reflect regional relationship restaurant sector seed shift Slow Food social movements strategies supply chain tion Toronto tortillas trade transgenic transnational urban Zapotec