Monday, January 08, 2007

NAFTA and Mexican emigration

The Washington Post offers up a solid analysis of how the implementation of NAFTA has spurred emigration from Mexico. The agreement has different phases, and the final protections are gradually being removed.

In particular, agribusiness (especially in the U.S., but also in Mexico) has made it difficult for small producers to compete. In an interesting twist, even Mexican farms aimed at export have hurt local farmers. Since we in the U.S. are obsessed with how produce looks, perfectly edible but imperfect looking food is rejected, and therefore is sold locally in Mexico for greatly reduced prices.

The article does mention demography, but only in passing, arguing that a Mexican baby boom outpaced job creation. This is true, but it fails to note the subsequent significant decrease in the average number of babies being born to Mexican mothers. Therefore, the rapid population growth is not so indefinite as the article suggests.

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