Mexico Improves Food Security, FAO Reports

Mexico’s decline in moderate to severe food insecurity reflects progress in food access and nutrition, but 26.4 million people still cannot afford a healthy diet, underscoring persistent affordability and rural access challenges. Government programs supporting small-scale producers, public food distribution networks and native corn production are becoming increasingly important as El Niño and other climate risks threaten agricultural output, food supply chains and price stability across Mexico and Latin America.

Mexico has reduced food insecurity and improved several nutrition indicators, according to FAO data, although millions of people still cannot afford a healthy diet and climate-related risks continue to threaten food access across Latin America.

Mexico reduced moderate to severe food insecurity from 24.9% in 2014-2016 to 16.5% in 2023-2025, meaning that approximately 8.6 million people moved out of this condition, according to FAO’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report.

The prevalence of undernourishment in Mexico stood at 3.1% in 2023-25, equivalent to approximately 4.1 million people. This was below the 4% recorded in 2004-2006, reflecting a reduction in the population experiencing insufficient food consumption to meet minimum dietary energy requirements.

Regarding the affordability of a healthy diet, the report estimated that the cost of a healthy diet in Mexico was US$4.54 per person per day in 2025. This was below the Latin America and Caribbean average of US$4.91 per day in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, indicating relatively better economic access to healthy food in Mexico.

However, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 26.4 million people in Mexico could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. Although this figure remains significant, it represents a decline from 2017, when 39 million people were unable to afford one.

The report also assessed women’s dietary quality. Between 2021 and 2025, 85.8% of women in Mexico achieved minimum dietary diversity, above the Latin America and Caribbean average of 77.5% and the global average of 62.7%.

Regarding child nutrition, FAO reported that the prevalence of wasting, a severe and acute form of malnutrition characterized by significant weight loss relative to height,  among children under 5 was 1% in 2024. This was below the global average of 6.6%.

Government Programs Target Food Security and Agricultural Production

Despite these improvements, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that more than 21 million people in Mexico still experience food insecurity. She said her administration has increased the minimum wage, is working to improve access to nutritious food and has expanded its Well-Being Programs to support affected populations.

“One of the most relevant programs we have, which was introduced after we took office, is the Maíz es la Raíz (Corn is the Root) program, in addition to several other initiatives. But this is related to the Fourth Transformation and what it has meant for improving the quality of life and well-being of the Mexican people,” she stated.

Sheinbaum highlighted that the Maíz es la Raíz program seeks to strengthen agricultural production, increase productivity and restore integrated production systems through the collective acquisition of equipment.

In 2026, the government will distribute the first financial support packages for the collective purchase of equipment and the conservation of native corn. The initiative aims to strengthen food production and access in rural areas of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo and Tabasco.

“This year, we will reach 350,000 producers. Next year, we want to reach 1 million producers. Nearly 2 million families live from their own agricultural production while also engaging in other activities, and many of them even rent the land. The goal is for them to return to production, to be able to feed themselves from their own milpa and also generate a surplus that can be marketed. That is the goal of the program: that those who feed us can also eat,” Sheinbaum underscored.

Global Hunger Declines, but Risks Remain

Globally, FAO reported that 7.8% of the world’s population, or an estimated 645 million people, experienced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022. The estimate, which ranges from 608 million to 696 million people, represents 14 million fewer people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022.

Moderate to severe food insecurity remained more prevalent in rural areas than in urban and peri-urban areas. It also affected women disproportionately, although the gender gap narrowed compared with the previous year.

By region, Africa had the highest number of people experiencing hunger, with 309 million, followed by Asia with 292 million and Latin America and the Caribbean with 32 million. FAO reported continued improvement in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, while the increase observed in Africa in recent years has begun to slow.

Despite this progress, FAO warned that hunger remains one of the world’s main challenges and that conflicts, economic crises and the effects of climate change could slow progress toward eliminating hunger by 2030.

Traditional Markets Strengthen Food Security During El Niño

Amid changing climate conditions, including the potential development of a new El Niño phase, FAO emphasized that strengthening traditional markets and public food supply systems will be critical to protecting food security. This is particularly relevant because most low-income households in Latin America purchase fresh products through open-air markets and wholesale and retail markets.

Máximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, said the global agrifood system operates amid growing risks and uncertainty, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the potential intensification of El Niño. 

FAO said international trade has helped maintain global food supplies during successive shocks.“The value of trade has increased fivefold globally since 2000 and reached US$2 trillion in 2024. Therefore, we have evidence that this sector has the capacity for resilience,” Torero said.

However, the organism stressed the need to strengthen public food marketing systems, improve food supply and price monitoring and develop anticipatory action mechanisms to reduce the effects of extreme weather events on vulnerable populations.

In Mexico, Alimentación para el Bienestar (Food for Well-Being) operates more than 24,000 community stores and 390 mobile outlets, reaching more than 23,000 localities, including 13,897 Indigenous communities. This network helps maintain access to food in rural areas exposed to droughts, floods and other climate-related disruptions.

In response to El Niño in 2026, FAO has prioritized technical monitoring and anticipatory action. Together with WFP, the organization announced the capacity to provide immediate assistance to 1.2 million people exposed to these risks and plans to expand coverage to 8.8 million people through a US$202 million appeal.

FAO is also providing technical assistance to Latin American countries to implement Anticipatory Action frameworks based on protocols with predefined activation thresholds and prearranged financing. These mechanisms demonstrated their effectiveness during El Niño in 2023-24, generating an estimated return of US$2.34 for every dollar invested through avoided losses.