Two steps forward, one step back? Champions and roadblocks for Mexico’s General Law on Adequate and Sustainable Food
At least 30 countries around the world have an explicit right to adequate food embedded in their constitutions. But only a handful, including Brazil, Ecuador, India, and Nepal, actually have a legal framework that allows citizens to exercise that right
By Danielle Resnick and Fiorella Espinosa de CandidoJune 18, 2026
Key takeaways
- Mexico’s landmark right-to-food law, passed in 2024, casts light on the thorny process of food system reform.
- Passage took years of effort. A supportive presidential administration, strong legislative coalition, and input from civil society, researchers, and policymakers all played important roles.
- Despite this legislative victory, implementation has stalled. Political turnover, opposition, and the breadth of the law’s content have delayed its enactment—showing the challenges of reform.
At least 30 countries around the world have an explicit right to adequate food embedded in their constitutions. But only a handful, including Brazil, Ecuador, India, and Nepal, actually have a legal framework that allows citizens to exercise that right. Without such a framework, legal scholars argue, it is difficult to ensure that governments follow through on the constitutional guarantee and can be fully accountable for delivering the right to food.
In April 2024, Mexico tried to address this weakness by enacting the General Law on Adequate and Sustainable Food, known as by its Spanish acronym, LGAAS. The General Law provides a practical legislative framework to guide Article 4 of Mexico’s constitution, which states that people have the right to nutritious, sufficient, and quality food. The emphasis on nutritious food is critical in a country where almost 37% of adults live with obesity and 18% have diabetes. Article 4 was considered a major achievement when passed in 2011, but it lacked a legal framework to ensure enforceability.
The General Law, therefore, is an important milestone in an ongoing struggle to guarantee the right to food in Mexico. However, more than two years after its passage, it remains largely unimplemented. The story of the LGAAS casts light on the arduous efforts required to not only codify and guarantee a right to quality food but also achieve meaningful food system reform. It offers insights for officeholders, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to effect change, and for researchers trying to understand evolving food system governance.
How, then, did the Mexican Congress come to approve the General Law in 2024—ultimately winning a unanimous vote in the Chamber of Deputies? And why, despite broad public support, does it remain unimplemented today?