How NAFTA Got Mexicans Hooked on U.S. Junk Food

In the campaign, President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw from NAFTA, calling it "a disaster since the day it was devised." But last week, he said he will "bring NAFTA up-to-date through renegotiation." However, neither Trump nor those on either side of the trade wars have given any hint that they know about one of NAFTA's most distressing consequences: its adverse impact on the health of the Mexican people.In the early 1990s, Mexico chose to hitch its wagon to the U.S. and Canadian economies. Mexico agreed to eradicate its import substitution, tariff and price support systems, as well as subsidies of corn. As the dominant partner in the deal, the U.S. won the right to export and invest more in Mexico without having to reduce its own domestic corn subsidies. Now, more than two decades later, our research shows that the agreement has transformed Mexico's food system and diet, leading to dramatic increases in obesity, diabetes and diet-related diseases.  Continue reading...