Beyond the Border: Nation-State Encroachment, NAFTA, and Offshore Control in the U.S.-Mexican Mango Industry

Although the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) controls the entrance of fruits and vegetables at the U.S.-Mexico border, the encroachment of this agency into Mexico and its offshore control of commodity production and distribution are not often a subject of investigation. This paper traces the development of the current USDA certification of mangos for U.S. import, focusing on the current hot water treatment of mangos and its controlling effects at local sites of production and distribution. Implications of a broader hemispheric system of control in other mango-producing export areas are also discussed.