Preliminary analysis of the City-Region Food System of three municipalities in the southwestern region of Jalisco state, Western Mexico

Abstract

The current pandemic caused by covid-19 has once again put the issue of food security in the center of political and scientific discussions. Furthermore, it has exposed the strong dangers posed by the dominant neoliberal agri-food system. In this article, we focus on the issue of food security in two medium-sized cities and one small city in the southwest of the state of Jalisco in western Mexico. In particular, we approach the understanding of the degree of food security of the three municipalities that make up the Metropolitan Area of Autlán, based on the City-Region Agrifood System approach that emphasizes the territorial dimension. In addition, we approach the perceptions of consumers in the three municipalities. Our analysis suggests a very low degree of food security in terms of production volumes, a predominance of the agribusiness model of agriculture, long commercialization circuits and a certain ignorance of consumers about the food they buy. We end this article with a discussion on the possibilities and limitations of the recovery of food security and the strengthening of a more sustainable agri-food system in medium and small cities of our country.