Anyone who knows me and my eating habits knows that this recent tortilla price crises troubles me deeply. It may seem like a joke, but global trade patterns do have an effect on people's daily lives. The issue here is raising prices for oil have put ethanol in demand, which as driven up the price of corn.
FYI: my favorite food is a lobster burrito with rice and beans.
A Culinary and Cultural Staple in Crisis
Mexico Grapples With Soaring Prices for Corn -- and Tortillas
"Mexico is in the grip of the worst tortilla crisis in its modern history. Dramatically rising international corn prices, spurred by demand for the grain-based fuel ethanol, have led to expensive tortillas. That, in turn, has led to lower sales for vendors such as Rosales and angry protests by consumers.
The uproar is exposing this country's outsize dependence on tortillas in its diet -- especially among the poor -- and testing the acumen of the new president, Felipe Calderón. It is also raising questions about the powerful businesses that dominate the Mexican corn market and are suspected by some lawmakers and regulators of unfair speculation and monopoly practices."
2 comments:
I like the quote that Mejia says: "When you talk about Mexico, when you talk about culture and societal roots, when you talk about the economy, you talk about the tortilla," "Everything revolves around the tortilla." If this is true, its impossible for us Mexicans to stop eating tortillas. The tortilla is crucial in our diet... for those who can afford it and for those who cannot. My question is this: Why are so many tortilla makers taking advantage of the situation? The cap was 78 cents, so why are these vendors selling it for close to 2 dollars!?!? They are showing no compassion for those with a lower income. I just think thats wrong! But I guess they should get it while it last; as far as we know this crisis might be over in "one or two weeks".
I was in Oaxaca Mexico (Particularly Huatulco) which is the poorest state in Mexico and I took a trip out to the mountains with one of the guys to see how indigenous people lived up there. This was about 5 months back and I remember one of the villagers talking about the government trying to take away farmland or something where these people grew Agave and whatever they use in tortillas. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? And no they didn't call me a gringo.
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