Fred Kodzo Ayifli

The Tortilla Crisis of Mexico: a Critical Look at the Impact of Biofuels and Food Security Fred Kodzo Ayifli

With the rise in the price of tortillas (the most ubiquitous maize-based food product consumed by Mexicans) and other staple foods, the streets of Mexico City were filled with angry protestors. Historically, Mexico is the source of maize where it is also the most extensive crop grown. The situation was, therefore, seen as a threat to food security following a world price increase of maize, primarily as a result of an ethanol boom in the US. These street protests thus marked the making of the infamous ??tortilla crisis?? a case that provided an illustrative example for examining global food price increases in the light of increased biofuels production. The analysis in this book is presented in the context of interlinked markets under a neoliberalist trade regime (the North American Free Trade Agreement). The book throws light on the nuanced complexities embedded within the Tortilla crisis as it analytically frames food as a complex commodity. It also argues for a critical look at the historical, cultural and economic circumstances that have characterized the Tortilla-Maize chain under various agricultural policies in Mexico as a way to understand the crisis.