Abstract
Using a national household survey and a newly established food security scale, socio-demographic factors affecting the level of household food insecurity in Mexico were identified. Households more likely to be food insecure include those with younger, less-educated household heads, headed by single, widowed or divorced women, with disabled household members, with native language speakers, with children, as well as rural and lower-income households. The model was also estimated for the rural and lower-income subpopulation, finding that low levels of education, native language speakers, and number of kids are factors associated with higher levels of food insecurity.
Highlights
The importance of food security has been addressed nationally and internationally
In terms of the number of persons, 49.9 million people in Mexico were experiencing some degree of food insecurity in 2010 (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social CONEVAL 2011a)
Food insecurity should be understood as a problem of 1) food availability, 2) food access, and 3) food consumption (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social CONEVAL 2010)
Summary
The importance of food security has been addressed nationally and internationally. Food security is defined as the situation when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy and active life (FAO 1996). As for the situation in Mexico, in 2010 the proportion of population that suffered from any level of food insecurity was 44.3 %. 19.5 % of the Mexican population reported experiencing very low food insecurity, 14.0 % moderate food insecurity, and 10.8 % severe food insecurity. In terms of the number of persons, 49.9 million people in Mexico were experiencing some degree of food insecurity in 2010 (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social CONEVAL 2011a). In 2008, the proportion of Mexican population under moderate food insecurity and severe food insecurity was 12.8 % and 8.9 %, respectively This means that the two most severe levels of food insecurity in Mexico increased from 2008 to 2010 (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social CONEVAL 2011a)
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