Abstract:In December 1994, Mexico experienced a profound economic crisis that drove up poverty to its highest levels in 20 years. Between 1994 and 1996, food poverty as a percentage of the population grew from 21.4 to 37.4, and asset poverty from 52.4 to 69.0 per cent. The Government that had come to power at the beginning of December 1994 adopted a number of measures in order to protect the poorest segment of the population, one such measure being the 1995 launch of a pilot programme in the Mexican state of Campeche known as the Food, Health and Education Programme (PASE). As Cortés and Rubalcava note, the results of the pilot phase of PASE were unsatisfactory, compelling the Technical Secretary of the working group of President Zedillo’s Social Development Cabinet (GDS) to request the assistance of CONAPO (National Population Council) in an assessment of its pitfalls. (…)