Mexico City Aims to Achieve Corn Self-Sufficiency

In its road toward corn self-sufficiency, Mexico City opens the first tortilla shop specializing in native corn. The shop, located in Iztapalapa, is part of an investment of over MX$1 billion (US$54.4 million) to strengthen agriculture in the capital, with a portion allocated directly to native corn producers to boost local production.

Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) and the Universidad Autonoma Chapingo (UACh) sign a strategic alliance to protect and strengthen agricultural production in the conservation land, which represents 59% of the city’s territory and is essential for aquifer recharge, the production of fresh and agroecological food, and the preservation of biodiversity.

The institutions agree on three commitments: increasing the production of native corn and protecting its local varieties with the goal of making the city self-sufficient in this crop, reaching about 9,000 tons per year; training the Operational Technical Units of the Altépetl Bienestar program and technical staff; and promoting the living pharmacies project — spaces where medicinal plant species are cultivated — in 43 agrarian communities where SEDEMA’s Directorate General of the Commission on Natural Resources and Rural Development already operates.

The launch of the tortilla shop follows the comprehensive plan presented in January 2025, after the decree declaring the capital a territory free of genetically modified or transgenic corn. The initiative is supported by the Red Centli, a cooperative network of 66 farmers recognized for promoting the consumption of native corn. Clara Brugada, Mexico City Mayor, says that this establishment will directly connect producers and consumers without intermediaries. She also highlights that this initiative is part of a broader strategy for social and food justice.

This action strengthens food sovereignty and dignifies local production by offering high-quality tortillas at a fair price, made with native corn free of GMOs and pesticides. “Tortilla is much more than food: it is identity, it is culture, it is health, it is the future,” says Julia Alvaréz, Minister of Environment. 

According to Animal Gourmet, the price of tortillas will be MX$22/kg, consistent with the standard price in Mexico City reported by the National System of Market Information and Integration. Production is planned at 400kg of tortillas per day.

The corn supplying this project comes from the towns of San Miguel Xicalco and Magdalena Petlacalco in Tlalpan, communities that have safeguarded their seeds for generations and cultivate them with agroecological practices. The tortilla shop will also sell other corn-based products such as sopes, tlacoyos, esquites, and fresh corn, at affordable prices.

This alliance aims to triple corn production by 2029, while preserving the diversity of native corn, improving public health, and strengthening the rural economy. The agreement also opens the door to joint projects in research, teaching, technology transfer, social service, field practice, and professional internships for UACh students.