Mexican Food Security (Segalmex) and Diconsa will merge into a new agency that will be responsible for ensuring links with small producers, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced yesterday.
The current Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, María Luisa Albores, will be in charge of the new department, which will be called Food for Well-being, she said at a press conference from her transitional house.
“(Segalmex) had its problems, which some people already know about, and others also stem from the fact that there are three units. We are going to concentrate it in one, where all the Diconsa stores are,” said the future president.
Asked about how to protect the new institution, given the allegations of corruption in Segalmex, the President-elect responded that they carry out monitoring and surveillance.
He also announced that the current head of Segalmex, Leonel Cota, will be undersecretary of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) starting October 1, while Columba López will head the coordination of territorial programs.
It will create a new dependency: food for well-being
Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she will merge Segalmex with Diconsa.
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Segalmex will merge with Diconsa to create a new agency called Food for Well-Being, which will be headed by the current Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, María Luisa Albores.
“I am telling you that we are going to merge Segalmex with Diconsa to create a single unit. (Segalmex) had its problems, which some of you already know, and others also arise from the fact that there are three units. We are going to concentrate it into one, where all the Diconsa stores are located,” he said.
From her transitional home, the next federal president explained that with the merger all Diconsa stores will be known as Tiendas del Bienestar (Wellness Stores). The new area will be responsible for ensuring the link with small producers.
“This new area that merges Diconsa and Segalmex, which would link small agricultural producers with Diconsa stores, directly, that area will be called Food for Well-being and the head will be María Luisa Albores, current secretary of Semarnat,” he explained.
The former head of the CDMX government highlighted that Albores has a lot of experience in the field, particularly with small-scale production, and will strengthen coffee, honey, bean, and cocoa products, which will be linked to the Sembrando Vida program.
Sheinbaum Pardo also announced the appointment of the head of Segalmex, Leonel Cota, who will be undersecretary of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) and Columba López, who worked with her when she was head of Government in the Commission of Natural Resources and Rural Development, will soon occupy the coordination of territorial programs.
Asked about how to protect the new institution, given the allegations of corruption in Segalmex, the President-elect responded that monitoring and surveillance are being carried out.
Maria Luisa Albore Gonzalez
Food for Wellbeing
By Brenda Salas
María Luisa Albores González was born on July 18, 1976 in Ocosingo, Chiapas. She is currently a Mexican politician, member of Morena and head of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) since 2020.
She is an Agricultural Engineer graduated from the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACH) specializing in Tropical Zones with a focus on Sustainable Coffee Growing.
She has a Master’s degree in Subject Pedagogy and Educational Practice from the Center for Studies for Rural Development (CESDR). She also completed a Diploma in Social Economy and Entrepreneurship from the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla.
He also has complementary studies in Entrepreneurship at the Mondragón University in Spain and at the Andalusian School of Social Economy.
He has worked in community work with extensive experience in social and solidarity economy. From the perspective of Social Economy, he has promoted regional development projects in peasant-indigenous communities in the states of Puebla and Chiapas. He has also worked for more than 10 years with the cooperative model in Mexico and with indigenous organizations, particularly in the Sierra Norte of Puebla.
Since 2002 he has been a member of the board of directors of Yeknemilis AC (Good Life in Nahuatl), with which they have carried out different projects with an impact on field production such as production management, harvest improvement, post-harvest management, processing lines, as well as the search for financing for the collection of the product in coffee, pepper, corn, honey, backyard projects, eco-techniques and ecotourism services.
She is part of the Tosepan Cooperative Union (2001 – present), coordinating the organic production area of the Tosepan Titataniske Cooperative. Since 2003, she has been an advisor to the Tosepan Pisilnekmej producer group; she is a promoter of bee farming in the Sierra Nororiental region of Puebla, a productive practice preserved since the Aztecs. In 2011, she managed to have the municipality of Cuetzalan del Progreso, Puebla, named the Pisilnekmej Bee Sanctuary (the bee). Scaptotrigona mexicana), which was recognized as a worldwide Presidium by the Slow Food movement in 2012.
Advisor to the Tosepan Kali Cooperative, created in 2004, which aims to promote tourism and environmental culture. Promoter of the formal education program Tosepan Kalnemaxtiloyan (School for All, in Nahuatl), which began on October 2, 2006, and was the creator of the curricular model of the Secondary School where she has supported as director since 2013.
Since the earthquakes of September 2017, it has been part of Tamakepalis (tamakepalis.com), an initiative of educational institutions and civil organizations represented by the Union of Tosepan Titataniske Cooperatives and supported by the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.
LEONEL EFRAIN COTA MONTANO
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
By Brenda Salas
Leonel Efraín Cota Montaño was born on April 19, 1956 in Santiago, Baja California Sur. He holds a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from UNAM, and a postgraduate degree in Cooperativism from IPN.
Before beginning his political career, he was a professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California. He was also a founding member of the Student Action Movement of BCS in 1972; a year later of the Popular Action Group of BCS and in 1975 of the Political Organizations that gave birth to the Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT) in the state.
In 1978 he participated as a member of the National Leadership of the Union of Provincial Student Houses in the Federal District. He was also director of the Training Institute for State and Municipal Workers (ICATEM), of the Government of Baja California Sur. And until 1987, he was executive member of the State Center for Municipal Studies, also of the state government.
In 1985, he entered public service as director of the Training Institute for State and Municipal Workers (Icatem), of BCS.
He has been a member of four different parties: PRT, PRI, PRD and Panal. He is currently a member of Morena.
From 1994 to 1995 he was a federal deputy for the First District of BCS; from 1996 to 1998 he was municipal president of La Paz; later from 1999 to 2005 he was governor of Baja California Sur; and from 2005 to 2008 he was president of the PRD.
This year, he announced his resignation from Segalmex to join Sheinbaum’s team during her campaign for the presidency, where he was responsible for Jalisco.
