Hola Alexandria,
I would like to reply to your recent posts regarding the concerns you have about the authenticity of the products currently being sold at the Saturday Farmers Market (TOSMA Tianguis). A quick history: The tianguis began in August 2010 and has carried the official name: “TOSMA Tianguis Natural, Artesanal y Orgánico” since 2013. The objective of the founding members of the administrative committee of TOSMA has been to create a common venue for local growers of produce and establish the criteria and training necessary enabling them to work toward achieving organic certification for their products. The organizers of the market have never claimed that the market is exclusively “organic”. That would be an impossibility considering the challenges of reaching organic certification in Mexico, not to mention the financial reality of incorporating 100% organic ingredients in the products considered “processed”. My experience from the beginning with TOSMA has been limited to selling my baked goods every Saturday as “artisan” and “natural” production (in short, meaning hand-made, no chemicals, or preservatives) and I know that neither I, nor my employees, have ever told any of our customers at the market that our products are “organic”. I’m sure however, that those that run the market would be very interested and concerned to know of any vendor that is claiming “organic” and certainly charging “organic prices” when indeed their products are not. The transformation from conventional to organic truly is a work in process. Related to the same, some months ago, I was involved in another of many courses imparted by TOSMA covering the extensive guidelines for organic certification of produce (vegetables and fruits directly from the earth) and, what we call in TOSMA, “processed” (products such as baked goods, conserves, cosmetics, etc). Clearly there exists a “wide sea” between conventional-commercial and 100% certified organic production. I would like to invite you to read the guidelines for organic certification in Mexico which are quite elaborate involving, not only the actual farming indications but also the preparation of the soil, food environment prior to and the storage of the ingredients and finished products post production. Truly, my hat goes off to those producers who have been able to organically-certify their products whether in the farmers market or elsewhere in San Miguel. My feeling is that, we should all, as responsible food producers, strive to offer the “cleanest” products possible and that our customers be armed with the necessary information describing our production processes enabling them to make better decisions about which products to buy or not. All of us who have food businesses must abide by health regulations (Secretaria de Salud- COFEPRIS). There are also inspections of our production facilities run by TOSMA insuring that we abide by the regulations determining natural, artisan or organic production established within the TOSMA guidelines.

Fortunately, today in San Miguel we are able to choose from an incredible selection of ingredients and prepared foods that weren’t available even five years ago. I believe our customers decide to buy or not certain products based on taste/quality preference, but also considering their financial budget realities. My personal experience with the bakery, and limited knowledge of basic economics, have proven to me that there is a point of inelastic demand where the customer is no longer willing to pay the price, no matter how exclusive and organic the ingredients are. I can tell you, as a responsible business owner in this town, that it has not made financial sense to be buying exclusively imported organic flours due to the logistics and cost at this time. Perhaps in another few years (or less) things will change; most certainly they will! The good news, and evidence of change in the bakery’s case, is that you can now find a loaf of our 100% organic whole-wheat bread which we are selling and testing at this time with organic flour that we have sourced in the local area. I must tell you that the cost of the flour raises the retail price almost 50% from our traditional whole-wheat loaf which we continue to sell due to much greater popular demand. In the end, we will let our customers choose which of the two they prefer. At any rate, your comments on the “Civil List” are important and timely; beginning Saturday, Oct. 24, the Tianguis customers will be able to find a list of all of the categories of production regulated by TOSMA enabling them to identify which of the vendors have organic certification and which do not, or are “in transition”. Also, if you would like to form a group of five or more concerned TOSMA consumers, one of the administrative committee members would be happy to field your questions (in Spanish) as well.

The members of TOSMA truly appreciate your concerns and comments.

Kind regards,

Melissa Sumner
Panadería La Buena Vida
Hernández Macías 72
Plaza Golondrinas (across the street from Bellas Artes)
415 117 95 27