Migración pendular y seguridad alimentaria en pequeñas comunidades semiurbanas de Mérida, Yucatán: Caso Cheuman

Objective: To describe the relationship established between the pendulum migration phenomenon and the food security of families settled in the semi-urban community of Cheuman, municipality of Merida, Yucatan. Methodology: The information was obtained through interview with families from the town of Cheuman, municipality of Merida, Yucatan, which was based on general information about the family, frequency of food consumption and supply, food security and migration; To measure food security, the procedure proposed by EMSA and a Chi-square test were conducted to verify the independence between security and migration. Results: 82% of families carry out pendular migration to obtain employment and income for subsistence. Only 27% of these families have food security and the rest (56%) have a degree of food insecurity. Limitations: Most of the informants were not present in the community when some visits were made and, the lack of public transport, were just some difficulties that prolonged the fieldwork more. Conclusion: No evidence was found to affirm that pendular migration favors the food security of the families in the Cheuman community; the quality of life of the inhabitants is affected by the presence of chronic degenerative diseases associated with poor eating habits. Access to food products is only through their purchase, since these are not produced in the cornfield, the backyard or in the family garden.