Migration, agribusiness and nutritional status of under five children in northwest Mexico

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status of under five children from Mexican migrant workers families within the context of global food markets. The sample included 404 children less than five years old coming from farms and agricultural communities at northwest Mexico. Prevalence of stunting and underweight of children appeared very similar to that for indigenous children from the national sample survey (difference 0.9 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively). Compared to the national sample of Mexican children, stunting and underweight seemed higher in migrant children (difference 17.7 and 4.5 percentage points, respectively), but wasting, an indicator of both chronic and acute undernutrition, appeared to indicate a process of nutritional recuperation. Migrant children living in poverty and suffering from chronic untdernutrition, poor performance and scarce education opportunities, will become agricultural workers with low productivity and poor general health. Consumer's demands on social and environmental standards of fresh food production in developed countries are an opportunity to impact lives of migrant agricultural workers, their families and communities