The local food system that mothers of children aged 1 to 5 years access in rural Mexico

Mothers, as primary caregivers, are the most influential nutrition delivery agents for children under five years of age. While the first 1,000 days are critical for nutrition to support adequate development, child development remains highly sensitive through age five. Although the sensitivity of this period and the important role of nutrition is recognized, little is known about the underlying local food systems that mothers access and how these food environments contribute to the food‐choice decisions mothers make on behalf of their children. The objective of this study was to understand what constitutes the local food system that mothers of children aged one to five years access in rural Mexico. We collected data from 46 mothers through semi‐structured interviews in three rural communities in the State of Mexico in November and December 2016. Mothers were asked to report foods currently available in the home and the sources from which those foods were acquired. A comprehensive list of foods that entered the household was obtained through further inquiry of food items that would be needed over the course of the coming week, e.g., upcoming trip to local markets. The most common sources of foods were their own harvest, tianguis (i.e., open‐markets on specific days of week), a government program pantry, a nutritional package from the non‐governmental organization Un Kilo de Ayuda, independent cars that sell produce and meats once per week, local small stores, and supermarkets. At the time of data collection, the seasonal staples in the communities were maize, beans, broad beans, and oats. In two of the communities, mothers reported that property owners allowed community members to glean harvested fields for potatoes after the aesthetic and well‐sized potatoes had been selected. In one of the communities, 8 mothers had a program from Un Kilo de Ayuda that included an orchard and a henhouse with 40 egg‐producing hens on their property directed for child and family consumption; mothers were encouraged to sell the excess product and apply those earnings towards maintenance of their orchards and hens for sustainability of the program. Accessibility and seasonality were important in determining which foods mothers brought to their household and subsequently fed to their children. The most commonly reported sources from which food was acquired required extensive travel of up to three hours, long periods between pantry deliveries to the communities, or high cost at local food stores. These challenges affected access to most foods that mothers need to acquire, including staples, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and meats. Seasonality was reflected in their own crops, which were harvested once a year, and the orchard vegetables, which were damaged during the cold season. Studying local food systems is essential to deepen our understanding of how mothers make decisions about what to feed their children. Gaining this understanding is important and timely particularly in the context of the nutritional transition that Mexico currently faces and potential changes in macro‐economic conditions (e.g., trade agreements) that may impact food supply and food choice decisions in Mexico. Support or Funding Information This work was partially supported by a SPARC Graduate Research Grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina