The “Central de Abastos” in México City amidst the pandemic: the need to decentralize the access and distribution pathways

The “Central de Abastos” (or CEDA, for short) in Mexico City is known as the largest wholesale/warehouse of agricultural goods in the world: with an extension of 327 hectares (1.3 square mile), a storage capacity of 120 mil tons, receiving and distributing more than 15 thousand products from all the states of the country, including 35% of the national production of vegetables and fruits; operating as a stock market for prices of agricultural commodities at the national level; receiving an average of 500 thousand visitors a day, carrying out commercial transactions calculated in about 9 billion dollars a year. A map of the CEDA can be consulted here (only available in Spanish).

Being the main spot for access and distribution of food items in the country, with such an impressing number of people visiting the place every day, the CEDA became a hot spot for Coronavirus spread, with more than 500 workers infected with the virus as by June 16th in spite of the actions implemented (sanitization and safety measures, and a health care unit to attend people with symptoms and to identify suspect cases). Still the market hasn´t been locked down as thousands of producers (and intermediaries) across the country wouldn´t have a market point for their produce, and consumers across Mexico City and the central region of the country may have been seriously affected due to the scarcity of goods. 

The scenery makes evident that such centralized means of access and distribution cannot be longer carried out in the way they have always been (thousands of people in a market at the same time). As the CEDA authorities are aware of the problem, electronic marketing and online purchases and home deliveries have become the main strategies to maintain the warehouse running amidst the pandemic; this in accordance with the “new normality” which consists of newly implemented regulations, most of them concerned with mobility (social distance) and cleanness and sanitization measures as a means to minimize the coronavirus spread and to avoid the collapse of the health system. 

Although both national and state Governments have made public a concern about the “economic recovery” on the one hand, and on the other, to avoid low nutrition industrialized food that is high in unhealthy sugars and fat as measure for health prevention, this “new normality” does not seem to foresee neither to provide, options for newly adapted economic forms or policies that would promote healthier food systems under a scheme that could represent an economic input for some families. Moreover, this “new normality”, does not seem to be aware of long term, unattended issues, such as the carbon print of having, for example, 35% of the vegetables and fruit production centralized into one single market point; the trade by intermediaries without protecting a fair price paid to farmers; and to the concern of this text, the lack of support and/or the invisibility of the local food systems for healthier diets that fit into the Mexican food tradition.

Nevertheless, social movements such as the Union de Lucha Vecinal del Valle de Anahuac, A.C, an association of several neighbourhoods across Mexico City developed after the 1985 earthquake by people who lost their homes, seem to be already taking a lead on shortening means of access and distribution of agricultural goods, at least from selling points to customers, as found in this handmade advertisement found across some street in downtown Mexico City. Such initiatives deserve further attention and support.

The COVID 19 pandemic has made evident the urgent need to support smaller suppliers of agricultural goods, which can also be linked to forms of social and solidary economy. This, not just as part of a “new normality” but for a “better normality”, which should be the main lesson learn from the pandemic.

Author Information

Diana Lope Alzina

For more information please contact: D.LopeAlzina@cgiar.org

The Alliance Bioversity International CIAT (Mexico)