Tortillas vs. WalMart and Ethanol

I don't recall if I knew that Wal-Mart was the largest employer in Mexico or not, but according to a story on NPR yesterday, the soulless succubus retailer may also be a lot, or at least partially, responsible for the increasing cost of tortillas in Mexico. Other possible explanations include the high demand for yellow corn for ethanol production in the US, NAFTA-created unfair conditions in which Mexican growers have difficulty competing with US subsidized corn producers, and price gouging that may have resulted from monopolistic practices by large Mexican growers. According to the story, the average Mexican eats 10 tortillas a day, and with price increases at times as high as 50%, there's little doubt as to who will reap a windfall, and who will have to dig a bit deeper.

This sort of story just makes me nash my teeth in anger and frustration.