Eating NAFTA: Great Things to Say

For my Taco Literacy class, the book that we have been reading lately as been Eating NAFTA by Alyshia Gálvez and the conversations that we’ve had with this book have just been amazing. Last week my class and I were able to speak to Gálvez herself and ask her questions that came to us when we read her work. One question that I asked Gálvez pertained to the notion of “organic” and what that term really means as smaller farmers in Mexico growing their own crops can technically be considered “organic.” One of her responses to the question came to the fact that many of those farmers not only are competing with larger industrialized farming from companies that are cheaper than their own corn, but also, these smaller farmers are also unable to purchase the license needed to be labeled as “organic.” It is insane to see just how political that it can get when looking at the farming conditions that Mexican growers encounter. My peers also had great questions to ask about the NAFTA “agreement” to Professor Gálvez and I was just left with more insight in the sphere of policies related to Mexico, and the unfortunate consequences that come with those policies.

This book as been one that I started recommending for others to read because I grew up thinking that the NAFTA agreement was actually a good thing. Three countries united to allow trades and goods permeate borders doesn’t sound like a bad idea. However, in Gálvez’s book she unpacks the negative aspects of the NAFTA agreement and leaves readers questioning the policies set in place that the citizens of Mexico have to endure. I can’t wait to continue reading to learn more and spread the knowledge of Eating NAFTA to others. I feel that many people should have awareness of what large American companies are doing to the “little guy” and how bad the health crisis is in Mexico.