Location, Location, Location.

Since most of my followers are from the United States or elsewhere around the globe, they might be curious why I would choose Mexico - and this location precisely in Mexico - to launch this project. They might assume that I chose this location because it is where I happen to live, but the situation is more nuanced than it might appear. When I first began researching this topic, I had no other reason to focus on this location than the fact that it was where I had been living for the past six years. But as I read and learned more and more, the logic fell into place with the convenience of making an ideal match.

For example, biodiversity is one of the critical areas concerning climate change that deserves more attention and is integral to our survival. Due to its geographical location and wide range of elevations (sea level to 18,490 feet), Mexico is home to almost all the Köppen climate classification zones in a relatively small geographical area. This abundance is particularly true in Jalisco, where 29 of the 30 different climatic zone subclassifications exist. This variability is a crucial driver of Mexico's tremendous level of biodiversity. Mexico is home to more than 30,000 species of flora (compared to 18,000 for the U.S. and 12,000 for Europe), placing it in 4th place behind only Brazil, Columbia, and China. Mexico also ranks first in the world for the number of reptile species, second for mammalian species, and fourth for amphibians.₁ As I write more about my project in the coming weeks, you will learn more about the importance of biodiversity and why we must develop systems that don't further reduce the world's biodiversity. To ensure our continued survival and prosperity, we must incorporate nature as a vital tool for helping us fight climate change and the resulting secondary and tertiary ripples that will result. 

The range of climatic zones within a small geographical area is also a key advantage beyond the opportunities they provide in their biodiversity. As my project scales beyond the first stages, which I have designed to provide positive cash flow early on, I plan to fund large-scale efforts in practical applied R & D in the field. By having such a diverse research climate within a short travel radius, we can run programs and trials in a wide variety of environmental settings and microclimates, making our findings more applicable to similar conditions in areas worldwide. Our proximity to the significant city of Guadalajara also provides strategic advantages, with the international airport only 30 minutes from the project location and the city's downtown only one hour away.

Since this project will operate as a business (more on my reasoning in a later article), we must discuss the selected project location before discussing the economic justifications. Because this is a global problem, and there has been much focus on the ends of the global income distribution (businesses targeting the upper end of the income distribution curve and NGOs on the lower end), I have chosen to make the middle my target market. Mexico, as a whole, is a good representation of this population. Additionally, the local labor market, the enthusiasm of the state and local governments in Jalisco, and Mexico's less restrictive visa system all make the administration of a startup here advantageous from a cost and risk perspective. While I am adamant about improving economic conditions, quality of life and the number of hours worked per week, it is far easier to meet my goals and not sacrifice my principles in this market.

Mexico also represents several advantages in this decade's less stable geopolitical environment. As we enter an era where the likelihood of supply chain breakdowns is increasing, Mexico maintains a steady, diversified manufacturing economy with advanced and intermediate skilled manufacturing of goods and components across sectors. Mexico also has an exceptionally neutral foreign policy defined by the following:

The self-determination of the towns; non-intervention; the peaceful settlement of disputes; the outlawing of the threat to the use of force in international relations; the legal equality of States; the International cooperation for development; and the struggle for international peace and security;₂ 

For this reason, Mexico is less likely to suffer as grievously from supply chain disruptions caused by tit-for-tat geopolitical interventions in international trade.

Lastly, as I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, Mexico is the country where I have been living for the last six years of my life. Although it is not my primary reason for choosing this location, I would be lying if I said that this country's culture and people hadn't shaped me on my path toward this bold challenge. Sometimes, to see what is missing from the society you are accustomed to, you need to get away and immerse yourself in another. The sense of hope, community, and public ownership of this problem and its solutions that I've found in Mexico has served a decisive role in transforming my outlook and showing me that we can, collectively, make a difference and overcome this wicked problem together.

Sources: 

1 - Rhoda, R., & Burton, T. (2010). Geo-Mexico : the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico. Sombrero Books.

2 - ​​Political Constitution of the United Mexican States (February 5, 1917). "Article 89, Section 10" (PDF) (in Spanish)