Globalization of Food Retailing in Guadalajara, Mexico: Changes in Access Equity and Social Engagement.

Globalization and neoliberal reforms affect the form and spatial distribution of commercial food retailing in Guadalajara since the early 1990s. I examine the equity of access to commercial food vendors for the urban poor and discuss the changing social relations that come about with increased economic rationalization. Equity is evaluated by calculating indices that compare access to public markets versus supermarkets for both the poor and non-poor populations. The index is calculated for both 1990 and 2000 to measure change across the decade. Equally important are the socio-cultural changes that come with new food consumption behaviors. This paper suggests that Mexico should not forsake traditional retail food outlets for globalized forms of retailing, but should seek a better articulation between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]