The Burrito Blog

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Globalization, Agriculture, Trade, Tortillas

Here at Burrito Blog we pick up on mainstream news stories that, while typically very stupid, have something to do with burritos. This story has to do with tortillas and is fascinating for dorks like me.

Here's my bulleted interpretation:

• Many people depend on tortillas for sustenance, like half of Mexico's 107 million residents that live in poverty...and me. Fortunately I do not live in poverty; I just love tortillas.
• Tortillas come from corn, which is grown and traded internationally.
• The cost of tortillas in Mexico grew 14% last year, far outpacing the country's 4% inflation.
• Trade agreements limit the amount of corn that can be imported into Mexico.
• Industrial sized Mexican growers are accused of price fixing and blocking competition to limit the corn supply.
• Mexico has penalized corn growers for anticompetitive practices six times since 2004.
• The company that owns the Mission brand of tortillas you see in the US controls 70% of the market in Mexico.
• Ethanol production from corn adds to the strain on the tortilla supply.
• Mexico authorized duty free imports of corn from around the world to boost supply.

Read the full story here. It's really interesting.

Thanks again to the #1 tipster of burrito news, Greg Danilowski.

This entry is filed in {News}.

Friday, January 12, 2007 by Jonah.