James McDonald, associate professor of anthropology
Research Close-up: Keeping James McDonald down on the farm
(June 3, 2002)--James McDonald, associate professor of anthropology, is principal investigator for the project "Family Farmers in Mexico," which is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. With NAFTA's ever-increasing impact on their daily lives amidst attempts to globalize their nation's economy, the average Mexican dairy farmer has been more disadvantaged than aided by the pact. So finds a UTSA study on the topic.
In nearly every major country in the world, the government subsidizes basic food crops. In post-NAFTA Mexico, however, there has been no financial help for dairy farmers. Many have lost their property as a result. To keep themselves in business, most farmers have consolidated their efforts. By uniting to form larger cooperatives, member-farmers receive a percentage of profits based on the amount of milk they produce, although in recent years, even these companies have struggled to survive.
Another influence on the success or failure of Mexican dairy farmers can be found in U.S. trade regulations and standards. In the United States, a high quantity of milk is produced, and we need a place to send it. Under our trade rules, we do not have to accept Mexican milk because it does not meet our sanitary standards, thus keeping the door closed on potential export of Mexican milk.
For Mexico, it appears that without broader intervention by their own government,
or changes in trade standards on this side of the border, the average milk
farmer may be fighting a losing battle to survive. McDonald will soon complete
a book that takes an in-depth look at the plight of the Mexican milk farmer,
and its further repercussions on the Mexican economy.
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