From Food Swamps to Nutritious Landscapes of Tomorrow: Evidence from Mexico City Chapter in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • In this work, we review the food environment of Mexico City¿s Metropolitan Area. The research questions were: (1) What is the effect of car-centric planning and reduced mobility on nutrition in the metropolitan periphery? (2) Is there a legislative framework that supports the production of fresh food in urban context? (3) Is fresh food affordable for the most vulnerable populations in the metropolitan? We found that existing development patterns and lack of mobility, especially in peri-urban zones, do not provide conditions for a healthy diet while processed and ready-to-go food is easy to reach. Long travel distances, as well as marginalization, hinder access to healthy food. While Mexico City has set up public policies to support urban agriculture in the city, such legislative framework and support is largely absent in the metropolitan periphery ¿ a condition that further enhances inequality and precariousness on the urban fringe. Finally, food is more affordable in informal settings and in the periphery than in inner-city neighborhoods. This fact, although positive for the vulnerable living on the fringe, might promote the continuation of the current trend of buying instead of producing food even though the periphery has more land reserve. Thus, the main challenge is transforming food swamps ¿ environments that offer mostly processed food ¿ into nutritious landscapes where food is organically produced, available within walking distance of housing, and affordable. The work emphasizes the need for an integrated, context-specific approach in planning that can compensate for inequalities in fresh food access between inner-city and peri-urban zones. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

publication date

  • January 1, 2023