Refined and industrial food is cheap and abundant in Mexico, but it may not be the healthiest option. To remedy that, a new market in Mexico City plans to connect shoppers directly with the producers of high-quality, local and ethically produced food.

The Capital Verde Earth Market will inaugurate a new location at the Bosque de Aragón park in Gustavo A. Madero borough on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The market’s original location in Azcapotzalco will continue to operate every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The new Bosque de Aragón location will host approximately 30 producers selling fruits and vegetables, chocolate, cheese, preserves, herbs and ready-to-eat dishes. The market will also host educational and cultural events, with topics such as healthy eating, the local economy and home gardening, Capital Verde market coordinator Luis Octavio Navarrete Zendejas said.

“The market is trying to reduce the use of disposable plastic as much as possible,” Navarrete added. “Many businesses are located in the Mexico City rural conservation zone, which is also protected by the government for the environmental benefits it offers to the central region of the country.”

The Capital Verde Earth Market is the fifth in the country to become part of the Earth Market network, an initiative of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. The network aims to benefit sellers who follow the principles of the slow food movement, including local sourcing, fair pay, and eco-friendly agroecological practices.

By removing intermediary retailers, the organization hopes to connect buyers directly with food producers so that the producers receive the full economic benefit of their products and shoppers know exactly what they are getting.

Mexico News Daily