“Si no comemos tortilla, no vivimos:” Women, climate change and food security in central Mexico

Abstract

In recent years, it has become clear that food security is intimately related to complex environmental, social, political and economic issues. Even though several studies document the impact of climate on food production and agriculture, a growing segment of research examines how climate change impacts food systems and associated livelihoods. Furthermore, while women play a crucial role in providing food security for their families, little research exists that examines the nexus among gender relations, climate change and household food security. This study investigates these relationships by asking: a) how is the production and reproduction of knowledge about food security and climate change shaped by gender and lived experience, and b) how does this knowledge influence attitudes and strategies for maintaining food security in a changing climate? Drawing on the results of research in two communities in central Mexico, I argue that women’s perceptions of and strategies for maintaining food security are derived from their socio-political, environmental, and economic contexts. This study contributes to both the growing literature on the gender dynamics of climate change, as well as debates about the role of bioengineered seeds in helping farmers to adapt to a changing climate.