**2.1 Environmental and health situation in Mexico**

*Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America*

population in Mexico as represented in **Figure 2** [19, 21].

**2. Indicators (economic, environmental, food and health)**

a decrease in the price of industrialized food [17].

40% of the energy and 27% of the materials [22].

hydrometeorological phenomena is annulled.

has resulted in culinary practices being transformed. Industrialized products are more at hand to be consumed. **Figure 1** presents a chronology of health statistics

It should be noted that the change in diet that has originated is not exclusive to Mexico but to a global scope, in which products, foods and culinary tastes have been standardized. As we previously pointed out, this type of industrialized diet based on sugars, flours and fats has resulted in high levels of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, as we will see in a moment. In 1988, overweight and obesity was 34.5% and 5 years after signing the FTA (1999), overweight and obesity increased to 61% and whose trend has been to increase to 75.2% of overweight and obesity combined. The

As of the Free Trade Agreement, there was an increase in the price of the basic food basket (fruit, vegetables, beans, corn, beef, chicken, and eggs) while there was

The impacts generated on the environment and health attributed to human action have been widely documented. There is data that shows that a total of natural resources exceeding 60 billion tons per year have been extracted so far in the 21st century, at the same time the richest 10% of the world's population monopolized

Climate change has been another factor that adds to the environmental challenges in the era of the so-called "anthropocene". In recent decades, climate changes have shown their effects on ecosystems, productive sectors and society. In agriculture, these impacts are reflected in the yield of crops, affecting in a more profound way the sectors of the population living in poverty, since they have fewer possibilities of generating resilience strategies in the face of predatory rules imposed by the market. In the same way, the possibility of protecting the places they inhabit due to

Diseases related to the effects of climate change such as the case of vectors such as the mosquito that transmits dengue and malaria, likewise, increases in mortality associated with extreme heat events have been documented [23]. The increasing and accelerated pace of demand for natural resources and energy has generated negative impacts on ecosystems, as well as serious socio-environmental consequences. As biophysical limits continue to be transgressed, we will see more and more irreversible and damaging effects on health, nature and coexistence systems, with the danger of falling into a deterioration that generates new pathologies, ailments and impossible health problems to elucidate in the short and medium term. Hence the need to pay special attention to this process to carry out actions that allow us to have a more harmonious relationship with our environment and therefore a

The latest estimates indicate that in Mexico about 50% of natural ecosystems have been lost, the main effects have been in ecosystems that are more productive, accessible and with better soils. The forests have been the terrestrial ecosystems of the country that have suffered the greatest disturbances due to human activities, both in eliminated and degraded areas [23]. The factors associated with the loss of habitat are related to the change of land use to give way to agricultural, livestock,

In addition to the above, the water quality indicators show that 12 million people lack access to drinking water, 102 of the 653 aquifers in Mexico are overexploited, 46% of the water is lost due to leaks in the supply networks, 80% of water

industrial, tourism, oil and mining activities, among others [24].

10 years before and after the entry into force of NAFTA (1994) [19].

**186**

better quality of life.

Likewise, the generation of urban solid waste (MSW) in Mexico reached 53.1 million tons in 2015. The increase in the generation of urban solid waste can be explained as a result of multiple factors, recognizing urban growth among the most important, industrial development and the change in consumption patterns of the population. The environmental and health consequences of the increase in MSW are presented through factors such as: the generation of biogases, contamination of soils and bodies of water, as well as the proliferation of harmful fauna and transmission of diseases [26, 28].

The global burden of diseases attributed to environmental factors is estimated at around 25% of the total for the general population and around 38% for the child population. The increase in non-communicable diseases and obesity rates in Mexico are alarming, there are several factors that have triggered this phenomenon, one of them is the high consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed products with high amounts of fats or sugars, low in content. Fiber and refined flours [29].

In Mexico, in 2016, 72.5% of adults were overweight and obese. Obesity increases the risk of suffering from other diseases such as diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, among others, which decrease the quality of life and increase the risk of death among those who suffer from them. Obesity also represents high medical costs, estimated at 151,894 million pesos in 2014 alone, which is equivalent to 34% of public spending on health and causes an estimated loss of productivity of 71,669 million pesos per year [2, 29].

Another problem related to health and the environment is exposure to air pollutants in cities and exposure to chemicals such as pesticides. It is estimated that 42% of chronic lung diseases are due to environmental risk factors related to occupational exposure to dust and chemicals, as well as air pollution in closed spaces due to the burning of solid fuels such as the use of firewood for cooking or as heating [23].

Regarding pesticides, the most frequent use of these occurs in agricultural activity. The prevailing agro-industrial system leads to the intensification of food production and this resulted in the excessive use of pesticides. In Mexico, pesticides are used that are prohibited in other countries, without rigorous controls being carried out for their use, supervision or information that account for the risks and level of danger that they bring with them, in such a way that we are directly or indirectly exposed to the harmful effects that they generate [30].

The soil is the natural resource from which food comes and, the conservation of the earth is thanks to the biogeochemical cycles that allow the movement of elements such as nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, sulfur, water among other elements in the form of cycles that it occurs through living beings and the environment. These cycles have been altered by atmospheric pollution, water exploitation, over-paving of the soil, the intensive use of agrochemicals derived from an economic system and lifestyle of people that has not allowed biogeochemical cycles to be generated. For example, it is known that the long-term use of agrochemicals as fertilizers has impacts on the diversity and density of soil bacteria. The justification for its use derives from achieving greater production to feed a growing world population, but this is only achieving a loss of crops due to a deterioration of the soil and its biogeochemical cycles [31, 32].

The problem shows us that the idea of unlimited economic growth, production dynamics, as well as consumption patterns are increasingly unsustainable; if the trend described above continues, it could put life at risk in all its aspects. Dimensions. We are faced with a scenario that urges us to think of an economy that has life support at its center. Mexico occupies the 7th place as a world producer of vehicles and with an important participation in the market, as can be seen in **Table 2**.

**Figure 3** shows the 2010 water map, where the problems of water availability in the country can be observed, and in regions where economic productivity is higher, so it is important to consider the impact of the automotive industry, of soft drinks, sugar, mining, paper, textiles, among the main ones. These industries affect the availability of water in addition to generating many pollutants to the water [11, 33]. On the other hand, overexploitation of water leads to the presence of pollutants such as arsenic and fluoride, where there are several regions in Mexico where high levels of arsenic and dental fluorosis have been found impacting the health of the population [26, 27].


*Source: Adapted and extracted from ProMéxico with information from 1 MarketLine, estimates 2 OICA 3 Fortune Global 500, 2015 <sup>4</sup> OICA 5 ANPACT 6 AMIA 7 Global Trade Atlas y AMIA 8 Ministry of Economy <sup>9</sup> ProMexico 10 National Institute of Statistic and Geography (INEGI-by its acronym in Spanish).*

#### **Table 2.**

*Data on vehicle production in Mexico.*

**189**

*Meaning and Health Impact of Food: Historical and Ecological Analysis*

**3. Technology and its ecological, food and health impacts: analysis** 

We understand by technology, in a general way, the application of knowledge to generate new methods, processes, services and devices. Technological innovation, on the other hand, is the transformation of an idea into a product, equipment, or operational process, including new forms of social organization. When studying technological innovation, the analysis of the generation /adoption /implementation/monitoring and evaluation processes of technologies should be included [34].

The extinction of species in the Anthropocene, global climate change and the damage to natural ecosystems caused by human activities, are part of an environmental and socio-ecological crisis that manifests itself at local, regional, and global scales. This crisis calls into question the social coexistence and the bases of the very existence of humanity. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also indicative of a general framework of poverty, hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, unsustainable agricultural practices, inequity (economic, social and gender), waste of natural resources, excessive energy consumption and violence

Crop production technology has changed significantly in recent decades. First, between 1980 and 1990 the direct sowing technique expanded rapidly to replace conventional tillage; later, production was intensified through a greater use of agrochemicals, mainly fertilizers; later transgenic crops were incorporated; and, more recently, differential management by environments, also called "precision

Expected changes in income and demographics will lead to increased consumption of meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and edible oils, increasing demand for agricultural raw materials. More consumers will enjoy an economic and lifestyle situation that will allow them to buy more processed and packaged foods, as well as a growing variety of convenience and luxury food items, but which will not necessarily increase the demand for agricultural raw materials. The ability of the agricultural and food industries to continue to respond to the undoubted increase in demand over the coming decades will largely depend on the increased application of existing technologies, as well as the exploitation of new and innovative technologies [27]. Since its inception, industrial development has polluted the air, water, and land, irreversibly affecting, in some cases, ecosystems. The rapid and excessive use of natural resources and the disregard for preventive measures have favored environmental pollution. In Latin American and Caribbean countries, the overlap of old communicable diseases with new chronic degenerative diseases is notable, together with environmental risk factors or lifestyles that are the cause of increasing morbidity and mortality, and the increase in the costs of health care and decreased

The gap is growing, in the generation and application of technology between countries of the center and the countries of the periphery substantially increased the magnitude of poverty in developing countries. Thus, despite spectacular increases in agricultural productivity in recent decades, undernutrition persists in many nations in Asia, Africa and to a lesser extent in Latin America.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96371*

**3.1 Impact of technology on ecology**

**3.2 Impact of technology on food production**

agriculture" [26], began to spread.

productivity and quality of life [28].

**and proposals**

and insecurity [34].

#### **Figure 3.** *Source: CONAGUA. www.dof.gob.mx/nota\_detalle\_popup.php?codigo=5339732.*
