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Mexico 
Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 23:28:31 PM PST
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I went poking around, mostly on the World Bank's website, to check out the most recent statistics available for the countries I've visited for my current book, along with Kenya, which I will visit in February. I'm not sure if I've said it here yet, but my book will be out in early 2013 from Chelsea Green, which is a thrill as they were my absolute first choice in publishers.
The statistics below are not all taken from the same year, but they are generally from within the last decade, and they are all the most recent numbers available. Only one statistic - gini coefficient - is not from the World Bank. That came from the CIA, as they seemed to have more current data.
Compare the inequality in the Philippines and Kenya. The Philippines has a much higher per capita GDP than Kenya, and yet there is a higher percent of the population living on less than $2/day in the Philippines compared to Kenya. Also note the health indicators in Cuba. They have less money than Mexico and yet they are doing slightly better than the U.S. in life expectancy, infant mortality, and AIDS prevalency.
Stunting and wasting both refer to malnutrition. Stunting means the child is low in height, wasting means the child is low in weight. Stunting is due to chronic malnutrition, whereas wasting is due to acute malnutrition.
Here, the measure for "sanitation" is basically looking at the percent of the population that has some form of toilet. Electricity measures the percent of the population with access to electricity.
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Sat Apr 16, 2011 at 20:35:50 PM PDT
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Troubled Harvest: Agronomy and Revolution in Mexico, 1880-2002 by Joseph Cotter is on a crucially important topic and, unfortunately, it's not a very well-written book. The author did absolutely extensive research and succeeds in providing details I have not found anywhere else. However, my major complaint is that much of the book is written as strings of disjointed facts of minute examples (such as the number of Mexican agronomists who graduated in a given year). Here's an example of what I mean by that:
Green Revolution technologies had their greatest impact in the northwestern irrigation districts, but by 1950 the Corn Commission had promoted hybrids in 9 states, and the MAP had conducted experiments in 19 and distributed new seed in 22 and over 100 kilograms of it in 10. By 1949 the MAP conducted corn research at Chapingo, Celaya, Guadalajara, and Morelos; worked on hybrids for the tropics; and tested wheat in Chapingo, Sonora, and La Laguna. Responding to commercial farmers and other interests, the MAP studied seed potatoes, safflower, an African oilseed, insect pests of tomatoes, potato diseases, soybeans, and sorghum. - p. 194
MAP stands for Mexican Agricultural Program, which is the name of the Rockefeller Foundation project in Mexico that was the start of what later became known as the Green Revolution. The author also constantly brings up names of individuals, often by their last names only, without explaining who they are.
To be fair, the author did all the research and most of the writing and then dropped dead at the age of 46 just before the book was completed. Someone else had to finish it for him. And if that isn't enough, the footnotes are written in a frustrating format, in which several pieces of information are grouped together into one footnote which lists several sources. Since many of the sources are at the Rockefeller Archives and thus impossible to get unless you go to New York, it's very difficult to determine which fact or quote comes from which source.
The book is full of useful nuggets of information, certainly worth reading, but frustrating. A summary of the first part of the book follows below.
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Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 23:44:23 PM PDT
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I decided it would be a good idea to look at the most up to date statistics about the places I visited in Mexico compared to the country as a whole. Below, you'll find statistics taken from the 2007 Agricultural Census, which I've calculated and arranged in tables and graphs to hopefully make easier to understand and compare.
For descriptions and photos of my travels in Mexico and the farms I visited, go here
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Tue Mar 22, 2011 at 02:30:50 AM PDT
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In this diary, I'd like to continue summarizing the book Foundations of International Agricultural Research: Science and Politics in Mexican Agriculture by Bruce H. Jennings, which is essential for anyone seeking to understand the Green Revolution.
In previous chapters, Jennings examines the Rockefeller Foundation in general and then their work in Mexican agriculture from 1940-1950 (see Part 1 and Part 2 of this series). In this chapter, he takes on their work in Mexico from 1950-1960. A summary of his findings follows.
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Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 13:01:37 PM PDT
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In this diary, I'd like to continue summarizing the book Foundations of International Agricultural Research: Science and Politics in Mexican Agriculture by Bruce H. Jennings, which is essential for anyone seeking to understand the Green Revolution.
Following the chapter in which Jennings examines the Rockefeller Foundation in general (see Part 1 of this series), he takes on their early work in Mexico. A summary of his findings follows.
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Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 00:27:17 AM PDT
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Lately I've been reading two books simultaneously, and they tell such an intertwined story that I feel I need to review them and describe them to you together. The first is Making Poverty by Thomas Lines. It's fantastic. It tells a clear, analytical story about why some countries are poor and why they have failed to escape poverty, particularly in the last half century or so. The second is ...And the Echo Follows by Nic Paget-Clarke. It's the exact opposite of Making Poverty. You won't find numbers or charts or economic analysis in this book. It's a collection of photos and interviews, woven together by the author. It's literally a trip around the world, meeting with some of the most interesting and intelligent people (many of whom are peasants), and hearing what they have to say in their own words.
More below.
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Sun Dec 05, 2010 at 21:42:56 PM PST
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This is the tenth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our fifth day, we were supposed to leave as early as possible for the long drive to Palenque. When we were invited to a ceremony put on by the students of a secondary school, we scrapped our plans and decided to stay and watch. This diary is about the students' orchard.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: An Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
Day 3, Part 1: A Full Day with the Zapatistas in the Highlands
Day 3, Part 2: A Trilingual, Multicultural Corn Experiment
Day 4, Part 1: Zapatista Agriculture and a Shower
Day 4, Part 2: This Corn Ain't Roundup Ready
Day 5, Part 1: Moi's Rant
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Fri Dec 03, 2010 at 09:41:28 AM PST
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This is the ninth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our fifth day, we were supposed to leave as early as possible for the long drive to Palenque. When we were invited to a ceremony put on by the students of a secondary school, we scrapped our plans and decided to stay and watch. This diary is about a man we met and what he had to say.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: An Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
Day 3, Part 1: A Full Day with the Zapatistas in the Highlands
Day 3, Part 2: A Trilingual, Multicultural Corn Experiment
Day 4, Part 1: Zapatista Agriculture and a Shower
Day 4, Part 2: This Corn Ain't Roundup Ready
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 11:02:57 AM PST
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This is the eighth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our fourth day, visited a former hacienda that was taken over by the Zapatistas in the 1994 revolution. We stayed there for the night, hanging out with the students and teachers of the Zapatista secondary school and checking out the corn that had just been harvested.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: An Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
Day 3, Part 1: A Full Day with the Zapatistas in the Highlands
Day 3, Part 2: A Trilingual, Multicultural Corn Experiment
Day 4, Part 1: Zapatista Agriculture and a Shower
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 06:00:00 AM PST
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This is the seventh diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our fourth day, we left the Zapatistas we had stayed with in the highlands of Chiapas and returned to the nearby town of San Cristobal. We had a plan - that might have turned into a bit of a disaster - to visit a very special place and stay there for the night. This diary is about the agriculture in the highlands and our drive back to San Cristobal (where my filthy body met a shower for the first time in a few days).
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: An Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
Day 3, Part 1: A Full Day with the Zapatistas in the Highlands
Day 3, Part 2: A Trilingual, Multicultural Corn Experiment
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 12:00:00 PM PST
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This is the sixth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. Our third day was our first full day with the Zapatistas. We spent it in one of their administrative centers ("caracoles") in the highlands near San Cristobal de las Casas. This diary describes our work with the agroecology team as we tried to plan an experiment using neem to help preserve corn.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
Day 3, Part 1: A Full Day with the Zapatistas in the Highlands
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 06:00:00 AM PST
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This is the fifth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. Our third day was our first full day with the Zapatistas. We spent it in one of their administrative centers ("caracoles") in the highlands near San Cristobal de las Casas. This diary tells about the day, and a second diary will describe our work with the agroecology team in detail.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
Day 2, Part 2: Our First Day with the Zapatistas
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 12:00:00 PM PST
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This is the fourth diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our second day, we went to an indigenous market in San Cristobal de las Casas for food and then went to stay with the Zapatistas. This diary tells about our first day working with their Agroecology team.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: Introduction to Zapatistas
Day 2, Part 1: Something's Weird in Zapatista Territory
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Tue Nov 30, 2010 at 06:00:00 AM PST
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This is the third diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our second day, we went to an indigenous market in San Cristobal de las Casas for food and then went to stay with the Zapatistas. Only, when we got there, they wouldn't let us in...
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
Day 1, Part 2: Introduction to Zapatistas
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 at 14:57:23 PM PST
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This is the second diary in a series about my recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, to meet with and learn about the Zapatistas, an indigenous insurgent movement made up of several ethnic groups, and their food and agriculture. On our first day, we left Tijuana for the capital of Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and drove from there to the yuppie-friendly city of San Cristobal. That afternoon, I walked around the city a bit, and at dinner, I got the big orientation to the Zapatistas.
Previous diaries in this series:
Day 1, Part 1: My Yuppified Introduction to Chiapas
(I went with the group Schools for Chiapas, an organization that works with and provides aid to the Zapatistas. Check out their website if you are interested in either traveling with them to Chiapas yourself, or simply buying some artisanal goods or coffee produced by Zapatistas. Aside from the obvious politics involved in supporting Zapatistas, you are supporting human beings who live in extreme poverty and work their asses off to educate themselves and their children and provide for basic needs like water and health care.)
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