Markets and flea markets in the food supply as pillars of food sovereignty in Mexico

The supply of food is part of the necessary bases for the construction of a nutritious, fair, healthy and sustainable agri-food system. With the adoption of the neoliberal model, the opening of markets and adherence to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the food supply in Mexico goes from having traditional distribution channels such as public markets and street markets as its central axis, to being governed by supermarkets, membership stores, convenience stores, among others, that now respond to new consumer habits and demands. This descriptive exploratory research aimed to analyze the distribution of markets and street markets, as well as the type of food purchased at the national level in these places and compared to other forms of commerce. Among the results, the presence of markets and street markets in the most populated cities of Mexico and in those with the largest indigenous population stood out; however, in some cities their presence was notably less than that of supermarkets. Food spending was higher in the regions where the states with the highest rates of poverty and marginalization are located, such as Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca. In the markets and tianguis, products derived from family farming, such as fruits and vegetables, were mainly purchased; street trade was presented as an option to buy prepared food; Grocery stores purchased the greatest diversity of products and together with supermarkets, membership stores and convenience stores, they represented the main places where Mexican households buy processed and ultra-processed foods. Markets and street markets are still present in the food supply in a strongly capitalist economy that makes it necessary to guarantee, recover and promote these spaces for the distribution and commercialization of food, ensuring social reproduction and expressing the national food culture and identity.