**Summary Report: Traditional Glassblowing in Syria (with focus on Damascus)**

**History of the Craft:**
Syrian glassblowing is one of the world’s oldest glassmaking traditions, with roots tracing back around 2,000 years to the ancient region of Syria, notably Damascus.

Early Syrians pioneered crucial glassblowing techniques that spread across the Roman Empire and beyond, revolutionizing the global glass industry.

Artisans in Syria developed methods for free-blown and mold-blown glass, creating both utilitarian and decorative items renowned for their clarity, color, and intricate designs.

Historical records and archaeological findings from Syria attest to its centrality in the innovation and spread of glassblowing.

**Cultural Importance:**
Traditional glassblowing holds deep cultural significance in Syria, particularly in Damascus, where family workshops have passed down knowledge and skills through generations.

Glass objects, such as lamps, cups, vases, and intricate ornaments, are integral to Syrian daily life and celebrations.

These crafts embody the region’s artistic heritage and reflect local identity—each handmade piece symbolizing resilience, creativity, and the continuity of tradition amid adversity.

**Current Status:**
In recent years, the survival of traditional glassblowing in Syria has become precarious.

The civil conflict, economic decline, and displacement have devastated artisan communities and threatened centuries-old workshops, especially in Damascus and Aleppo.

The number of craftsmen practicing authentic, traditional techniques has dwindled significantly, with only a handful of remaining families and master artisans preserving the skill.

Much of the production infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed; raw material supply chains are disrupted, and generational transmission of knowledge is at risk as younger generations are drawn to other fields or forced to migrate.

**Summary Report: Traditional Glassblowing in Syria (with focus on Damascus)**

**History of the Craft:**
Syrian glassblowing is one of the world’s oldest glassmaking traditions, with roots tracing back around 2,000 years to the ancient region of Syria, notably Damascus.

Title:

Content: Art of glassblowing returns again in Aleppo countryside liberated from terrorism

The town of Urem Al-Kubra in Aleppo province in northern Syria has historically been famous for its skilled glassblowing craftsmen. The war considerably affected this traditional craft inherited from our ancestors, but after the liberation of the city from terrorism, some artisans have brought it back to life. The artisan, Yassin Arab learned the glassblowing craft from his father when he was a child, and after the town was liberated from terrorism, he returned to his small facility, where he worked to restore it and start working again. Arab does not hide his enormous passion for the craft of glassblowing and his belief in the need to preserve this ancient Syrian heritage. Regarding the working mechanism, the artisan explained to SANA that he uses recycled glass, melts it again in the oven at high temperature, and then chooses a specific shape for its manufacture, whether hookah bottles, vases, plates, small jugs, fish houses for decoration, decorated cups and antiques of different sizes. After that, t he piece is blown, rotated and processed by the artisan until it takes its final shape using white and brown colors, and once the manufacturing of the product is finished, it is decorated and colored to give it the required aesthetics. For his part, Hussein Najjar noted that he learned the craft of blowing glass manually since he was young and has been working in this field for 40 years. He added that he is able to make any shape or glass container, using his imagination, and considered that the art of glassblowing is one of the types of plastic arts. Traditional glassblowing is a profession that dates back more than two thousand years (since the time of the Phoenicians) and was included in December 2023 by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity that needs urgent preservation. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Early Syrians pioneered crucial glassblowing techniques that spread across the Roman Empire and beyond, revolutionizing the global glass industry.

Artisans in Syria developed methods for free-blown and mold-blown glass, creating both utilitarian and decorative items renowned for their clarity, color, and intricate designs.

Historical records and archaeological findings from Syria attest to its centrality in the innovation and spread of glassblowing.

**Cultural Importance:**
Traditional glassblowing holds deep cultural significance in Syria, particularly in Damascus, where family workshops have passed down knowledge and skills through generations.

Glass objects, such as lamps, cups, vases, and intricate ornaments, are integral to Syrian daily life and celebrations.

These crafts embody the region’s artistic heritage and reflect local identity—each handmade piece symbolizing resilience, creativity, and the continuity of tradition amid adversity.

Title:

Content: Manal AlDowayan to represent Saudi Arabia at Biennale Arte 2024

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

  • Manal AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists, recognised internationally for her work that spans participatory practice, photography, sound and sculpture
  • The artist interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women
  • The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission
  • This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation in the Biennale Arte, and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Manal AlDowayan will represent Saudi Arabia at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from 20 April to 24 November 2024. The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission.

AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women.

AlDowayan acts as a critical witness to the cultural and social metamorphoses sweeping her home country, and her work in turn navigates a territory where the personal and the societal overlap. Her works explore themes such as invisibility, active forgetting, and collective memory. Through her decades-long practice, AlDowayan’s art resonates with audiences around the world, fostering connection, interaction, and engagement. She is best known for participatory installations such as Suspended Together (2011) and Esmi-My Name (2012), which are the result of participatory workshops offering channels for thousands of women in Saudi Arabia to reflect on social customs relating to the position of women in Saudi Arabia and further afield.

Commenting on her participation, AlDowayan says:

My approach to art over the last two decades has given me the chance to be part of a transformation that is taking place in my country. The Biennale Arte 2024 presents a rare opportunity to represent where I stand in my practice, positioned in the context of my community, my country, and the world as a whole.

More recently, AlDowayan performed From Shattered Ruins, New Life Shall Bloom at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in August 2023. There, she invited visitors to navigate the space which featured a landscape of totems topped with porcelain rolls filled with texts and images depicting narratives that have upheld structures around women for generations. In a conclusive collective gesture of protest against a history of control, participants destroyed the scrolls – ultimately stripping the words and images of their power and encouraging solidarity in the face of fragmentation of action and the need for a multipolar approach when it comes to helping women and girls around the world.

Dina Amin, Chief Executive Officer of the Visual Arts Commission says: At the Visual Arts Commission, our goal is to bring to the forefront the talent that resides within our country and to look for ways to nurture, amplify and celebrate it on local, regional and international stages. We are proud to be showcasing Manal AlDowayans work at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, an important international platform for exchange.

This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation at the International Art Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists. A concept and further details surrounding AlDowayan’s installation will be announced at a later stage, but the artist revealed that the Saudi Pavilion will reflect on the Biennale Arte’s overarching theme. Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, will bring together artists to reflect on the differences and disparities conditioned by areas such as identity, nationality, race and gender, amongst others.

The exhibition will be on view from 20 April to 24 November 2024 at the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia’s permanent space at the Arsenale, Sale d’Armi, Venice, Italy.

Manal AlDowayan for The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, 20 April – 24 November: saudipavilion.org

Press contacts:
Rania Habib at Pelham Communications
rania@pelhamcommunications.com

Annabel Hoyng-Van der Meijden at Pelham Communications
annabel@pelhamcommunications.com

Press kit link here.

About Manal AlDowayan
AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women. AlDowayan’s work has been exhibited regionally and internationally in institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, USA (2023); the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada (2023); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2023); Misk Art Institute, Saudi Arabia (2023, 2022); Setouchi Triennale, Japan (2022); Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE (2023); Diriyah Biennale, Saudi Arabia (2022); Taehwa River Eco Festival, Korea (2021); V&A Museum, UK (2021); British Museum, UK (2021); Desert X AlUla, Saudi Arabia (2020); The Nobel Museum, Sweden (2019); the Aga Khan Museum, Canada (2018); Royal College of Art, UK (2018); Abu Dhabi Art, UAE (2017); Institut du Monde Arabe, France (2017); the Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE (2016); Santander Art Gallery, Madrid (2016); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2015); Prospect New Orleans, American Biennial, USA (2014); Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea (2014); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar (2014); and in a Collateral Event at the Biennale Arte in 2009 and 2011, among others. Her works can be found in the collections of the British Museum, UK; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; the Centre Pompidou, France; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim, USA. She participated in the Robert Rauschenberg Residency, USA (2015), and the artist-in-residence programme at the Delfina Foundation, UK (2009).

She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Practice in Public Spheres from the Royal College of Art, London. She also received a research fellowship from New York University Abu Dhabi (2014). Born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in 1973, AlDowayan currently lives and works between London, Dhahran and Dubai.

Website: https://www.manaldowayan.com/
Instagram: @manaldowayan
#ManalAlDowayan

About the Visual Arts Commission:
The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 sector-specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture. Founded in 2020, it is leading the development of the visual arts sector in Saudi Arabia. The Commission is working to nurture the talent of art enthusiasts, practitioners, and professionals in the Kingdom, and support the production and exhibition of artwork in all its forms, locally and internationally.

To learn more about the Visual Arts Commission, please visit www.visualarts.moc.gov.sa/en and the commission’s page on Twitter @MOCVisualArts

About the Ministry of Culture:
Saudi Arabia has a vast history of arts and culture. The Ministry of Culture is developing Saudi Arabia’s cultural economy and enriching the daily lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.

Overseeing 11 sector-specific commissions, the Ministry is leading a cultural transformation to develop an abundant ecosystem that nurtures creativity, unlocks the economic potential of the sector and unleashes new and inspiring forms of expression.

Find the Ministry of Culture on social media: Twitter @MOCSaudi (Arabic); @MOCSaudi_En (English) | Instagram @mocsaudi

About the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia:
The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia supports and celebrates the Kingdom’s artistic and architectural community. It serves as a meeting space for dialogue between creative minds, and an exchange of concepts and ideas. The pavilion provides a permanent home for research and ideation from the nation’s leading cultural voices.

To learn more about the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, please visit www.saudipavilion.org and on Instagram: @saudipavilion.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a91498e-5d3e-41fa-91e4-de6dd610be50

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8983844

**Current Status:**
In recent years, the survival of traditional glassblowing in Syria has become precarious.

The civil conflict, economic decline, and displacement have devastated artisan communities and threatened centuries-old workshops, especially in Damascus and Aleppo.

The number of craftsmen practicing authentic, traditional techniques has dwindled significantly, with only a handful of remaining families and master artisans preserving the skill.

Title:

Content: How a co-op and an artist plan to revive Lebanon’s wool trade

A woman’s cooperative is using discarded wool to weave handcrafted rugs to sell abroad and revive fortunes at home.

Shortages of raw materials are impacting many sectors of Lebanon’s crisis-ridden economy. But two things it has in abundance are grazing pastures and Awassi sheep.

Indigenous to Lebanon, Awassi sheep produce lots of wool – tonnes of which are thrown away each year, the United Nations reckons.

It wasn’t always that way. Lebanon’s wool and textile industry thrived from the 1970s until the turn of the century, but wars abroad and cheap imports from China roiled the once-healthy trade.

Now, all industries in Lebanon are trying to stay afloat in the midst of a two-year-old economic crisis that has seen inflation soar, foreign exchange reserves dry up and citizens take to the streets to protest successive government failures to stem the carnage.

But in the Bekaa Valley, a small women’s cooperative isn’t waiting for the government to help. They’re taking matters into their own hands and using discarded Awassi wool to weave handcrafted rugs with an eye towards earning much-needed export revenue while creating a more sustainable local economy.

From thriving to foundering

Lebanon used to export textiles to Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Libya and the Gulf, independent economist Elie Yachoui told Al Jazeera. But that trade foundered after the administration of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri lowered customs duties on textiles from 35 percent to 5 percent in 2000, flooding the local market with less expensive substitutes that crushed the domestic textile and wool industry, which Yachoui said supported at least 100,000 families.

“Lebanon had about 10 yarn factories, about 200 textile factories, 15 dye factories and hundreds, if not thousands, of factories that produced clothing,” said Yachoui. “After the customs changes, everything closed. They couldn’t compete with Chinese imports and sold all the machines to Syria or some moved to Egypt.”

With no factories to supply in Lebanon, shepherds in the Bekaa Valley started exporting almost all their raw Awassi wool to Syria for processing – until war broke out there in 2011, shuttering or destroying factories in Aleppo and unleashing sanctions that prohibited trade with Syria.

While UN Comtrade data shows little change in Lebanon’s textile exports over the last 10 years, Yachoui said the local Awassi wool trade was not captured by the metric. The only indicator that something had changed was the lack of any official textile exports to Syria after 2014, due to the conflict.

“Shepherds used to pack their wool into a pick-up truck and smuggle it across the border, sell it directly to the factories. None of this registered, but that was how all the local wool would get to Syria,” Yachoui said. “All the wool that is exported to the rest of the world is likely imported wool from other places because we have triangular trade in Lebanon, so they will be importing foreign wool and selling it on to other countries.”

But the Bekaa Valley’s wool production is getting a kick-start from Bisat al Rih, an Aarsal-based women’s cooperative that makes carpets using Awassi wool.

Founded by Halima Al Hojairy, the cooperative aims to provide work – and a steady source of revenue – for local women and to keep Lebanon’s traditional crafts alive by passing on the skills she learned from her family.

“I wanted to help local families in the Bekaa and create a small market for the sheeps’ wool that piles up in the village and surrounding areas,” Hojairy told Al Jazeera. “We’re trying, as a cooperative, to create a market for this wool again, finding products to make from it and telling people to buy directly from the shepherds.”

Currently, the cooperative uses roughly 250kg of Awassi wool per year. But Hojairy is hoping that the co-op will expand its production along with sales – both abroad and at home.

The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value against the United States dollar over the past two years, but that makes Lebanese exports like woolen rugs more competitive. And though most people in Lebanon have little cash to spare on home furnishings, Hojairy is betting that those who do have the funds to spruce up their homes will gravitate to more affordable locally made goods.

“If we worked on this, we could find a way to make a market around this again,” said Hojairy, adding that the market would not only benefit livelihoods, but the environment as well. “It takes a long time [for discarded wool] to disintegrate,” she says, “and it pollutes the landscape, too.”

Artisanship and possibilities

Textile artist Adrian Pepe has been working with Bisat Al Rih on a project that aims to showcase possible uses for local raw materials like Awassi wool. During the initial round of coronavirus pandemic lockdowns last year, Pepe spent months in Aarsal getting to know the local shepherds and learning about the excess wool left to wither every year.

He recently showed a series of carpets he made with salvaged Awassi wool at a Dubai Design Week exhibit titled Entangled Matters.

The rugs use several wool materials, tracing the evolution of textiles from sheepskin to felt – the earliest known textile – to spun wool knitted into fabrics and embroidery.

“In the past, [Lebanese wool] couldn’t compete against international wool standards, because the material is a little rough, and then synthetic materials became cheaper than the natural material,” he told Al Jazeera. “Now, with the dollar rate affecting imports, the local wool is cheaper, but no one knows about it.”

Pepe said the exhibit is designed to inspire other artisans to use Awassi wool by showcasing “the breadth of possibilities with the material itself”.

“It’s the first step into that commercial space and for me, that’s very important,” he said.

Pepe is also working on a more practical use for felt made with Awassi wool, teaching women at Bisat Al Rih how to make felt – a skill they plan to apply renovating 300 tents at a Syrian refugee camp near Aarsal.

But economists say that in order for nascent efforts to breathe life back into Lebanon’s wool export trade – as well as other productive industries – the government must create a nurturing environment by avoiding past policies that decimated local producers.

“Encouraging local production rests on raising customs tariffs to protect local products, giving tax incentives to local producers, subsidising as much as possible raw material imports, and promoting local products abroad while concentrating on high-value products, [such as] food products, vegetables and jewelry,” Group Chief Economist and Head of Research at Bank Audi Marwan Barakat told Al Jazeera.

Source: Al Jazeera

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Much of the production infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed; raw material supply chains are disrupted, and generational transmission of knowledge is at risk as younger generations are drawn to other fields or forced to migrate.

Title:

Content: Podcasts: Feature

I Am Not Your Refugee: Ana Surie

A conversation about the ‘Ana Surie’ (‘I Am Syrian’) photography exhibition organised in the Zaatari refugee camp

29 September 2022, 9.17am
  • This podcast series was supported by the Pulitzer Center

Mohamad Khalf has been teaching photography in Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan, for many years – instilling a love of learning and creative expression in his students Ali and Mohammed Nour Al-Babisi.

They talk to Bairbre Flood about the photography exhibition Mohmamad Khalf organised in the camp, called ‘Ana Surie’ (‘I Am Syrian’) and why they are Syrian first – not refugees.

Nour Al-Hariri shares her rap music and explains why she writes about early marriage, child labour, and other issues - and why the many talented and creative women in the camp should be supported more.

Watch some of the short films created by Al-Balbisi.

Presented by Mahmoud Hassino and produced by Bairbre Flood.

Theme music by Omar Alkilani. Artwork by Haya Halaw.

With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support.

Transcript

Mahmoud Hassino: Hi, I'm Mahmoud Hassino and you're listening to I Am Not Your Refugee, a podcast created by myself and Bairbre Flood in collaboration with some of the refugee community organizers, activists and artists working to challenge stereotypes around migration. With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support

Hi, and welcome to this week's episode, which comes to you from Zaatari camp in Jordan. Zaatari is home to just over 80,000 people who were forced to leave Syria during the war. More than half of the camps residents are children. Muhammad Khalf has been teaching photography in Zaatari for many years. We'll hear more from him throughout the program. But first, we talked to one of his students, Ali. During his chat with Bairbre, he talks about a photography exhibition, Mohammed Khalf organized in the camp called 'Ana Surie', 'I Am Syrian'.

Ali: I'm a Ali. I'm 23 years old. I'm Syrian but I live in Zaatari Camp in Jordan. I have been living in this camp in Jordan since I was 13. I finished my high school. And now I'm working as a photographer with some organization here in Zaatari camp. I like photography. It was it was a hobby when I was a child, and I improved it to make it something to stay alive. It was my hobby. And now it's my job. Mohammad Khalf gave me the basics. And after that he said that if I learn the whole thing you will do what I do. If I give you the basics, you will show me your creative. This is it.

Bairbre Flood: What did you like most about the way Mohammed taught or about the ethos of the course or how he did it?

Ali: Mohammad's style was so amazing for us because he was a teacher, instructor - a brother also - and the first supporter for us. He was helping us and everything that we can do it. And when we are making a mistake, he said okay, it's easy - it's not a big problem - to go ahead, to learn more and more.

Bairbre Flood: So in the project with Muhammad, I know you had an exhibition 'Ana Surie'? So why is it important for him to help people be proud of that?

Ali: I think the main thing in this project 'Ana Surie' it was just to let the people and all the word know what the meaning of the Syrian. We are not a refugee, we are human, this is it.

And we just show our culture and our traditional clothes, what we would like, what we are living. Like trees, or flowers. When I was in Syria you can see that in each house in Syria, there is a tree or flowers. And here is not. And we make it - you can see most of the houses here in Zaatari camp, you can see the trees rows. And this was something important for us to bring with us and to feel just we are there's something from our home.

I improved my skills and just now I'm on a level that they can see the photos and know if there any mistake in it or not. Get tips to make the photos more beautiful. It's good for me actually. And from the photography. I made a lot of relationship with friends. That was so good for me, actually, for Syrian people. Not just Syrian but outside the camp in Jordan, or you can see the Arabian country...from America from Britain.

Here in Zaatari camp the opportunity for the youth is so low actually. I'm now I'm 22 years old and I just finished my high school and I don't go to the university so I'm looking for a scholarship right now. So there's a lot of people here in Zaatari like this, like me. There was no opportunity just to learn. Maybe all of them and I'm one of them are looking forward to go outside the camp, to Arabian country maybe, to Europe, America, or any country just to complete our learning. We do not like to stay in the same thing. Okay, we are in the high school and what else? Just we are working to complete our life. So all of us want to go outside just get more opportunity.

Mahmoud Hassino: Another of Mohammad Khalf's students Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi chats with Bairbre and Mohammad Khalf interprets:

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: The picture no back again...

Bairbre Flood: Oh like it's once off yeah, like it happens once that's it. So he has to capture it.

Mohammad Khalf: No internet. The picture no back again.

Bairbre Flood: It happens once and that's it.

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah, the picture is remember.

Bairbre Flood: The picture will never come...the picture will never come back.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: The camp has many creative people here. Refugees need a chance because the creative inside. Skills, creative need chance.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: What's it called? (The film)

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: Full day in Zaatari.

Mohammad Khalf: Full day of Zaatari. From morning to night.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Start with the sun.

Bairbre Flood: Sunrise.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Many shops...

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: General shots.

Bairbre Flood: Like of people going about their business. {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Life of a refugee.

Bairbre Flood: Why that's so important for you to make that and not somebody coming in from Ireland or England or America and coming into the camp and making it? Why is it so important for somebody in the camp?

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: He is taking picture because no people knows how is refugee live in Zaatari camp.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: He has nationality. Not refugee.

Bairbre Flood: Okay. You're Syrian?

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah, he is. He is Syrian. Not refugee. The refugee here. We hates speak 'refugee, refugee, refugee'. Ana Surie {speaks in Arabic}.

Bairbre Flood: Okay, it's important. For community and for pride, okay. Is there anything you want to tell people?

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: {speaks in Arabic} Nothing? Ok! Watch the video.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Finish film 'Full day of Zaatari' and {speaks in Arabic} new project - Ramadan month...

Bairbre Flood: You're gonna film all through the month?

Mohammad Khalf: Ramadan after this month.

Bairbre Flood: In April?

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah. He has one project about Ramadan.

Bairbre Flood: Okay it's good {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: She waiting to see film.

Bairbre Flood: {speaks in Arabic} thank you so much.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic - raps a piece she's written}

Ataa Hamidi: Her name is Nour Huda Akram Al Hariri.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: She wrote a song about rap. This song name is {speaks in Arabic} which mean in English 'when I want to be different person I should make the difference'. I should change something. When she completed this song she was she was lvery happy with this song and she can do something and she can do many changes. She decided to go through this aspect and write songs.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: One of her most important people - she wanted to be like him - his name is Ismail Tamar. He is a singer and he also sing the rap. She wanted to imitate him and to be like him.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: At this moment, I discovered that there's no need to stop and to be to waiting for anything. Because life is going on. And there is no need to waste the time so that I decided to have another person help me. I write and the other person sing and this person I choose my sister Bruj.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: We started together my sister and me. And when we show the people they liked the idea and they told us: why don't you improve this aspect? And you evaluate this song and do more of this song and we did it.

Bairbre Flood: What do you write about?

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: MashAllah, she's so fast! We we wrote the songs for many topics. And one of the most important and familiar topics was the early marriage. And also one of the most important topic that they wrote songs about is violence, especially with the mother or the woman. And then they wrote many topics about the kids work, the kids they work in the camp. They still young, no more than 10 years or 11 years and they worked in the camp.. They wanted to focus on this idea and wrote many songs on this topic. They also wanted to focus on the topic of the woman right, they thought that a woman in the camp may need more support. This is why they focus on this idea.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: Being a feminist means many things to her because as a Syrian refugee feminist in the camp mean like maybe many people will see her as a very bad way or constantly treat her as a very bad way. She wanted to change this idea and she wanted to change the thought of our many people for the woman in the camp. Her sister and her wanted to change the traditional in the camp and also outside the camp because you know, when you being as a singer of rap this mean you are a very different person - especially you are a feminist. So she wanted to change this idea.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: There's many ideas she wanted people to focus in, and she wanted the other country out of Jordan even, to focus on the most. But the most important idea she wanted people to focus in that why don't support us as refugees more? Don't support us more as refugees in general? And she also wants people to focus on support the woman especially. Here in the camp, there are many creative and talented girls.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: She said that being a refugee is not just a person he left his home and his homeland, and sit and live in another place. No, she mean, we are human, persons. And we have many successful ideas, and we are most of us as a highly educated persons. And most of us have very positive and talented work, but they just need a support from people and they need people to see them not just as refugee, but as a human.

Nour Al Hariri and Burj: {speaks in Arabic - recites a rap they wrote}

Nour Al Hariri and her sister Burj, with thanks to Ataa Hamidi for interpreting the interview with Nour for us.

Mahmoud Hassino: Finally, we hear from Mohammad Khalf and after the interview, he shows Bairbre and Ataa some of his students photographs over the years.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: My name is Mohammed Khalf, from Syria. from Dara and born in Damascus.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I started my volunteer work with children to help them take photographs,

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I liked it when the children express their feelings through the photographs

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: From the beginning, I refused the idea that I was just a refugee. And I taught the children to be proud of being Syrian too.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I'm proud to be helping to change the negative ideas around refugees and proud that I'm one of the people who helped create change in the camp.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: Some of the students I worked with have gone on to get work with some of the organizations and the camp

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And these days I teach children in my house in a small school I've built at the side of my house.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: My volunteer work helps me to keep positive and be more motivated and have more opportunities in the camp for study and work.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And this work helped me to be closer to the kids in the camp and to my own kids and helped me to decide to be a class teacher and start to study this in the university.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I know that the change starts from inside us and I decided to strengthen myself more and more and do more volunteer work with the kids.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And I focused more on the teaching process and help the kids because I want them all to be successful and to be changemakers

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I want to say something to those who think that there is no creativity in the camp. There are many creative people here in the camp who are successful and talented. I just want to say as well that I'm constantly inspired by my wife, Salam.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I know there's a lot of stereotypes around refugees that's why I tell the children to say I am not a refugee - Ana Surie - I am Syrian. And be proud of that.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: A car made out of disability wheelchair, and a caravan here.

Ataa Hamidi: Yes.

Bairbre Flood: That's so cool.

Ataa Hamidi: Different way like.

Bairbre Flood: It's good. Yeah. It's a good picture too.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: These are beautiful.

Mohammad Khalf: Camera digital not professional.

Bairbre Flood: A digital camera. That's a very cool.

Ataa Hamidi: He looks not like a refugee -

Bairbre Flood: He looks like an actor!

Ataa Hamidi: He looks like he looks like a Syrian actor, Jamal Suliman.

Bairbre Flood: And these these photos are from all his students as well?

Ataa Hamidi: Yes this photo's from his students.

Bairbre Flood: They're beautiful.

Ataa Hamidi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mahmoud Hassino: Huge thanks to Ali, Muhammad Nour Al Balbisi, Nour Al Hariri and her sister Burj, Ataa Hamidi and Muhammad, Khalf. His wife, Salem, voice actor, Aboudi Dabbagh, and everyone in Mafraq and Zaatari, who helped with this episode. Links to the photographers and the short films they've produced are in the show notes, as are links to more of the work of Nour Al Hariri.

Thank you for listening from myself, Mahmoud Hassino, and producer Bairbre Flood. Music by Omar Al Kilani. Join us next time for our art episode. With artherestanbul, Syrian illustrator and artist Haya Halaw, and Irish-Pakistani artist Hina Khan. See you then! With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support.

Had enough of ‘alternative facts’? openDemocracy is different Join the conversation: get our weekly email


**Global Avocado Demand & Consumption Trends:**
- **Soaring Demand**: Avocado consumption continues to surge globally, with some markets experiencing over 25% year-on-year sales increases.

For instance, New Zealand hit a record in avocado purchases, and in the US, avocados have become a staple, especially among Gen Z and Hispanic communities.

- **Varieties & Preferences**: The Hass avocado, a chance discovery, is now the most widely consumed variety worldwide due to its favorable ripening and taste characteristics.

- **Changing Applications**: The versatility of avocados extends into new culinary uses, including vegan-friendly sweets and innovative restaurant fare.

**Economic Impacts on Producer Countries:**
- **Major Exporters**: Mexico remains the top supplier, accounting for about 83% of the US’s avocado imports, specifically from Michoacán.

Kenya and New Zealand are also expanding their export volumes.

- **Farmers’ Prosperity and Price Volatility**: Producers have seen significant price changes—Kenyan farmers, for example, experienced prices rising from Sh5 to Sh60 per fruit as export markets expanded.

- **Market & Supply Chain Fluctuations**: Price swings, oversupply, and shifting export demand can harm growers’ incomes.

Temporary US import bans and supply chain bottlenecks (like cornering by large chains) immediately impact local economies.

- **Brand Power**: “Avocados From Mexico” has established itself as a dominant brand, benefiting various stakeholders across the value chain.

**Environmental and Social Concerns:**
- **Deforestation & Land Use**: Rising demand has incentivized the expansion of avocado farms, sometimes contributing to deforestation, especially in Mexico’s primary growing regions.

- **Water Use**: Avocados require significant water resources, straining areas where water is already scarce or contested.

- **Criminal Involvement**: The industry has drawn attention from organized crime in Mexico.

**Global Avocado Demand & Consumption Trends:**
- **Soaring Demand**: Avocado consumption continues to surge globally, with some markets experiencing over 25% year-on-year sales increases.

Title:

Content: Smashing news: Early season avocados just 80 cents each

Forks at the ready, avo fans – with the harvest just beginning, the fruit is already going cheap.

A scan of supermarket prices on Tuesday revealed avocados, harvested from August to February, were already selling for as little as 80 cents a pop.

A Countdown spokesperson said grower investment over the last couple of years meant it had a good supply of New Zealand-grown fruit.

“Over the last year, avocado sales have increased by more than 25%,” they said.

READ MORE:
* Coronavirus: Kiwis urged to eat more avocado after industry takes Covid-19 hit
* How many others squeezed that avocado you just bought (and squeezed)?
* Stolen avocados likely being sold at roadside stalls

Foodstuffs spokesperson Emma Wooster said more than 31 million avocados were sold in its New World, Pak ‘n Save and Four Square stores last year.

“We expect to see great value and availability on avocados continue as crops grow larger – great news as we know New Zealanders love some avo on their morning toast,” Wooster said.

NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said New Zealanders bought more than 80 million avocados last season, which was “a record, and a great one.”

“With increased prices for fruit and vegetables, and our new season crop available, it’s a great time for Kiwis to grab an extra couple of avocados in their weekly shopping and try avocados in new ways.”

But the bargain-basement prices come at a cost to avocado growers, who have already had a tough couple of years.

Repeated Covid-19 lockdowns, shipping problems and changing shopping habits had all impacted on growers’ ability to shift their produce.

On top of that, increased production in Australia, usually New Zealand’s biggest export market, resulted in an “avalanche” of avocados there last year.

The oversupply led to prices hitting a 15-year low of $1 each and a 76% slump in New Zealand’s exports across the Tasman.

Scoular said New Zealand produced about 1.5% of global avocado supply, and she believed demand in Asia could be “increased significantly with good investment in that market development.”

How has avocado consumption changed in recent years?

What are the positive effects of the global demand for avocados on the countries and regions that produce and export them?

For instance, New Zealand hit a record in avocado purchases, and in the US, avocados have become a staple, especially among Gen Z and Hispanic communities.

How has avocado consumption changed in recent years?

What are the countries and regions that import avocados?

- **Varieties & Preferences**: The Hass avocado, a chance discovery, is now the most widely consumed variety worldwide due to its favorable ripening and taste characteristics.

Title:

Content: NewsMilwaukee Tonight

Actions

The most popular type of avocado was planted by Milwaukee native, Rudolph Hass

95% of all avocados consumed in the U.S. and a majority of avocados consumed globally can be traced back to one tree planted by a Milwaukee native.
Posted at 5:01 PM, Dec 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-15 18:01:56-05

MILWAUKEE — It's a played-out joke - millennials love avocado toast. I think we can all agree, avocado toast is delicious (this is coming from a millennial). Avocados have become ubiquitous in our diets whether it's in a spread, guacamole, or even in a smoothie. However, our obsession with avocados might not be the same had it not been for one man from Milwaukee who could be called the godfather of avocados.

Shockingly, 95% of all avocados consumed in the U.S. and a majority of avocados consumed globally can be traced back to one tree planted by a Milwaukee native. Introducing, Rudolph Hass.

He was born in Milwaukee in 1892. He moved to La Habra in Southern California in 1923. He became a mailman, but that's not what he would become famous for. In 1925, as people in the region were becoming more interested in subtropical fruits, Hass planted his famous avocado tree, according to Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia, the cooperative extension specialist and professor of extension of tropical horticulture at the University of California, Riverside. She has been studying avocados since 1983.

The Hass avocado is actually a lucky mistake. Hass tried grafting his tree with the dominant avocado strain at the time, the Fuerte. Grafting is a technique that joins two plants into one. Some of his trees took to grafting, but one didn't. He almost decided to chop that tree down, but instead, let it live. That one tree changed avocado history.

When Hass' tree finally bared fruit, people recognized that it had a richer taste and creamier texture. Once that was discovered people started wanting a piece of the Hass tree.

"People knew it was a very high eating quality fruit in fact from a post-harvest perspective it probably sets the gold standard," Dr. Arpaia said.

After shopping his avocados around, Hass knew he had something special on his hands. He got one of the first-ever fruit patents. Afterward, he struck a deal with a local nursery. The nursey would grow and sell the trees, and Hass would get a cut of the sales.

That would have worked well had it not been for people illegally circumventing the law. People illegally grafted the Hass tree they bought and planted groves of them. Due to that, Hass only made about $5,000 from his patent.

In 1945, an article by H.B. Griswold in the California Avocado Society said that the Hass avocado was superior because of its size, good shipping quality, and its growing season. In the same article, it said that the nursey sold 16,250 Hass avocado trees from 1936-1945.

However, it wasn't until the 1970's that the tree took off nationwide. Avocados we know today tend to ripen when they turn darker. Back in the middle of the 20th century, eating blackened fruit wasn't an attractive idea. However thanks to some clever marketing, the Hass avocado was pushed, and then it exploded into popularity, Dr. Arpaia said.

"It's the number one variety commercially worldwide," she said.

Hass avocados are grown and eaten in Chile, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Africa. They are the most common variety in the world. In fact, the world's largest producer of avocados, Mexico, sent 1.7 billion pounds of the fruit to the United States in 2017.

Today, you can't go to a restaurant without seeing avocados in at least one of the dishes. In Milwaukee, there is a food truck called Vocado MKE that exclusively sells avocado toast. At the Public Market in Milwaukee, the vegan restaurant On The Bus can barely keep up with demand.

"Yeah, we definitely sell at least 10 to probably around 50 sandwiches that include avocado," general manager Emily Schicker said.

So the next time you see an avocado in the grocery store or see guacamole on the menu, you can thank the Milwaukee native turned southern California mailman, Rudolph Hass.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Milwaukee Tonight focuses on the people, places, and events that make the community special. From artists to architecture, food to festivals, neighborhoods to nightlife - this show is a nightly reminder that our city is filled with stories to be proud of. Watch weekdays at 6:30 p.m. on TMJ4.

- **Changing Applications**: The versatility of avocados extends into new culinary uses, including vegan-friendly sweets and innovative restaurant fare.

Title:

Content: Skip to main contentSkip to navigation

Creamy margaritas and globe-trotting guacs: 22 ways to eat through Australia’s avocado avalanche

Producers are predicting there will be 22 avocados grown for every person in Australia this year. Here’s how to try something new with each one

The avocado is no longer a signifier of brunching profligacy – Australia is harvesting a bumper crop.

According to the agribusiness bank Rabobank, production is up by 26% from last year as trees, primarily in Western Australia and Queensland, mature. The resulting abundance – 22 avocados are forecast to be grown for every Australian this year – has led to a drop in prices to $1 each at the supermarket and farmers are appealing to consumers to increase their avo intake.

Undoubtedly the most popular of all avocado dishes – and now part of the fabric and lore of Australian cuisine – is the smashed avocado. There are all kinds of variations (here is a version from Anna Jones), personalisations and opinions when it comes to avocado on toast but, in its purest form, it’s simply lightly crushed avocado seasoned with lemon, salt and pepper, then roughly piled on to a piece of thick-cut toast.

There was, of course, a time before smashing, when it was just “avocado” and was served on sandwiches. Maggie Beer’s “chook and avocado” serves up poached chicken on delicate white bread fingers, perfectly sized for afternoon tea.

Guacamole, originating from the central states of Mexico (the “mole” means sauce) is made from mashed ripe avocados, tomatoes, onions, coriander and green chilli, but google it and you’ll tumble down a seemingly bottomless pit of recipes.

Jack White, the frontman of the White Stripes, is apparently both a guacamole purist and a perfectionist, as evidenced by the inclusion of a very specific recipe in his backstage rider.

Nick Fitzgerald keeps his guacamole traditional, too, adding extra flavour by topping it with green salsa macha, a spicy oil originating in Veracruz and made from dried chillies, garlic, nuts and spices. It’s ideal, he says, for dipping tostadas, tortilla chips or chicharron – deep-fried pork crackling.

Casually crossing cultures, Yotam Ottolenghi infuses his guac with wasabi, an unusual addition, but a superb colour-matched heat swap for chilli. Jackie Middleton travels a similar geographical distance with her recipe for fish tacos with guacamole, featuring fish sauce and sumac.

Prawns are the protein of choice for Adrian Richardson’s tacos. His avocado and chilli salsa makes only a brief departure from Mexico to add a pinch of sesame seeds. Ottolenghi favours prawns too, in his playful homage to the retro classic avocado and prawns, spicing it up and serving it with a curried yoghurt in place of typical Marie Rose-type sauce.

Crab is a winsome partner for avocado too, and the availability of pre-picked sweet crabmeat makes a recipe like Warren Mendes’ crab and avocado dome an impressive return for investment.

This simple omelette from the Sydney Seafood School also features crab, served with an avocado salsa with the unusual addition of tarragon.

To serve up Italian-style sausages, Nigel Slater swaps potato for a lighter, spicier feta and avocado mash, suggesting exchanging the sausages for chorizo if you’re keen to turn up the heat. In another recipe he eschews meat for halloumi, breaded and deep-fried to golden, served with silky avocado blended, rather than mashed, with basil and olive oil for extra creaminess.

Unlikely sounding but vividly attractive, is Jamie Oliver’s avocado pastry quiche, another vegetarian-friendly recipe, which uses avocado to replace butter or oil in the dough, and adds a filling of puréed peas and cheese.

Cooked avocado has always been divisive. This baked recipe confidently fills halved avocados with quinoa, corn, feta, walnuts and cherry tomatoes before baking. Jones also roast avocados. After tossing them in lime and chilli, she coats them in breadcrumbs and serves them with slaw and charred salsa for build-your-own tortillas. And avocado chips, anyone? They’re baked not fried in this Spruce Eats recipe.

Virtue-signalling is the popular green smoothie, with avocado adding a deceptive creaminess. And, as the name in this “spinach smuggler” suggests, its flavour can also cover up less-palatable ingredients.

Sweets are another unexpected course the avocado has taken over the past decade, driven by vegans craving creaminess. This sleight of hand can fool even perennially suspicious offspring. A mousse recipe by Claire Ptak is particularly pleasing as it requires just two steps: blend everything in a food processor then chill in the fridge.

Doubling down on the key ingredient is Australian Avocados recipe for chocolate avocado brownie with avocado ice-cream.

Meera Sodha adds matcha (green tea powder) to her avocado ice-cream and makes it dairy-free by sweetening it with condensed coconut milk.

The avocado has even taken on the drinks cabinet, most notably in the form of a margarita pioneered by the Austin restaurant Curras more than 20 years ago. Just sip it slowly – or risk becoming an entirely different kind of smashed.

**Economic Impacts on Producer Countries:**
- **Major Exporters**: Mexico remains the top supplier, accounting for about 83% of the US’s avocado imports, specifically from Michoacán.

Title:

Content: Chipotle, other large chains corner dwindling avocado supplies after Mexico import ban

In the fight for limited avocado supplies, Chipotle and other large chains are at an advantage compared to small businesses – many of which could be days away from running out of inventory as imports from Mexico remain suspended.

Restaurants that rely heavily on avocados grown in Mexico are now scrambling for sources of the popular fruit after US authorities temporarily suspended imports. Some 83% of annual US avocado supply is delivered from the state of Michoacán in Mexico.

Corporate chains such as Chipotle have the resources to pay top dollar for available avocados or seek supply from other locales such as Peru for a short-term fix. But smaller chains and local restaurants have few options once their current supplies of avocados run out.

Neville Baay, the co-owner of El Barrio, a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, told Bloomberg that it may be forced to pull guacamole, its top-selling item, from the menu if prices continue to rise.

“The Chipotles and Taco Bells of the world can ride with the current,” Baay told the outlet. “We have to take our lumps and hope it doesn’t get too bad.”

Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill, a chain of 75 restaurants, has about a week’s supply left and plans to pull avocado-based menus from its menu once it is exhausted.

“We’ll use what we have. I’m not going to look for any type of alternative, we’re just going to announce to our customers that guacamole is not available until further notice,” Salsarita’s CEO Phil Friedman told Bloomberg.

The US Department of Agriculture has yet to provide a timeline for when the ban on imports from Mexico may be lifted. Officials said the suspension, which was enacted effective Feb. 11, would remain in place “as long as necessary” after plant inspectors received an unspecified “verbal threat.”

It’s unclear who was responsible for the threat, but the state of Michoacán has contended with violent clashes and turf wars involving cartels in recent years.

Deep-pocketed companies like Chipotle may be in a better position to acquire avocados than small businesses, but they are also experiencing difficulties during the import ban.

As The Post previously reported, Chipotle’s CFO Jack Hartung described the situation as a “challenge,” noting the company’s avocado sourcing partners had “several weeks” of remaining supply.

“We’ll continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust our plans accordingly,” he said.

Chipotle has attempted to diversify its avocado sourcing in recent years as prices continue to rise. Recent supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic have only increased costs.

Chipotle’s Chief Restaurant Officer Scott Boatwright told Bloomberg the chain is “working every angle” to secure avocado supply.

Claudia has worked as a journalist for various print-based magazines for more than 5 years. She brings together substantial news pieces from various parts of the US and rest of the World.

What are the countries and regions that produce and export avocados?

Kenya and New Zealand are also expanding their export volumes.

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Finally, the long-awaited avocado bonanza arrives

MONEY & MARKET
By Graham Kajilwa | January 10th 2022
By Graham Kajilwa | January 10th 2022
MONEY & MARKET

If there were to be a list of the three things that bother Kenyans today, the crazy prices of avocados would feature without a doubt.

Of late, these prices have hit the roof. An acute shortage in some markets has raised the standard of this fruit to an almost luxurious product.

A few years before avocado was as glorified as a super fruit, the price for a reasonable size of this ‘green gold’ was as low as Sh10 or at most Sh30 from the local vendor.

To some villagers, it was used to feed animals with farm gate prices being as low as Sh5 per piece. But now, the price of a fruit is averaging Sh60.

Currently, an avocado that costs Sh20 or Sh30 is not even attractive to the eye. While the prices of avocados have been steadily rising even in the international markets, the recent absence of the fruit has been prompted by the Directorate of Horticulture’s decision to restrict exports.

Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya Chief Executive Okisegere Ojepat attributed the high prices of avocados in the local market to the restricted export of the fruit, leading to controlled harvesting.

Due to restriction, limited avocados are being exported until later next month as farmers are required to only sell mature fruits. “For that reason, there is little in the market,” said Ojepat.

He explained that the supply in the local market is dependent on international supply as the fruits Kenyans buy are mostly those which do not meet international export standards.

Some of them are small in size, have scratches or bruises. “For that reason, you can be assured if there is not much export, the domestic market feels the heat,” he said. The Jumbo variety is what is mostly sold in the local market. However, this is the only variety now with an open market.

While announcing the decision to restrict export of avocados last month, the Director, Horticultural Crops Directorate, Benjamin Tito, said this would ensure farmers do not export immature fruits. “We are shipping too much but what (the money) we get in return is too little,” said Tito at a press conference.

He said harvesting and exporting of immature avocados has negatively affected the image of the country in overseas markets, in addition to interfering with the cropping cycle of the trees - hence reducing the projected volumes.

According to the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, avocado is the topmost fruit being shipped out of the country.

According to the association’s 2021 report, shipment out of the country has been increasing: rising from 3,406 in 2017, 5,833 in 2018, 8,525 in 2019 to 9,666 in 2020. In terms of volume, the figure has been going up from 38.7 million in 2017 to 71.7 million in 2020.

Data from the Horticultural Crops Directorate paints the same picture as shipment in kilogrammes increased between January and July last year to 67.1 million kilos. The period between June and July 2021, however, saw a drop to 9.8 million and 4.6 million kilos respectively, from the double-digit in May of 10.9 million kilos.

Currently, fruits constitute 34 per cent of shipments of fresh produce from Kenya, with avocado having the lion’s share.

“The Kenyan avocado recorded 9,990 shipments in 2020, shipping to 57 destinations from 35 in 2017,” reads the Fresh Produce Logistics 2021 report by the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya.

The report names avocado as among the fruits that have demonstrated consistent growth over the last five years, with others being mango, passion fruit, raspberries and pineapples.

“On avocados and nuts, Kenya has only exploited 38 per cent of its potential, which means there is still room to grow,” it adds.

The US and Pacific are some of the areas that have the potential to buy Kenya’s avocados.

Avocado Society of Kenya Chief Executive Ernest Muthomi said globalisation had increased demand for the fruit. The universality of the fruit and its use as a spread for bread or smoothie also plays a key role.

“This craze is international,” he said. “And the growing of avocados in Kenya is fueled by this – the international demand. That is why you hear some funny stories of some few Kenyans exporting immature avocados.” He said while Kenyans are also eating avocados just like anyone else in the world, the international prices as stated seem more attractive to a local farmers and exporters, hence the preference for exports.

Prices in the last three years as been a fruit go for Sh25 at the beginning. “Now we are talking about Sh40 or Sh45 for a big size fruit,” he said. The average price per box for export is Sh400 when you get it directly from the farmer.

Pressure on local prices will continue, owing to huge demand globally. It might take 50 years for global demand to be met since there are market openings in India and China.

“Some of it (shortage) is being fueled by the processing of local avocado into other products. Like some are using avocado to process oil,” he said.

As more factories are set up with international demand rising, scarcity is likely to continue unless production goes up.

“Avocados are going to be expensive,” he said. “But thank God people are planting them in areas where they have not been growing before, like Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Bomet.”

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Feedback

What are the positive effects of the global demand for avocados on the countries and regions that produce and export them?

- **Farmers’ Prosperity and Price Volatility**: Producers have seen significant price changes—Kenyan farmers, for example, experienced prices rising from Sh5 to Sh60 per fruit as export markets expanded.

How have avocado prices changed in recent years?

What are the positive effects of the global demand for avocados on the countries and regions that produce and export them?

- **Market & Supply Chain Fluctuations**: Price swings, oversupply, and shifting export demand can harm growers’ incomes.

What crises have happened on the global avocado market in the recent years?

oversupply of avocados in Australia
prices falling sharply

Temporary US import bans and supply chain bottlenecks (like cornering by large chains) immediately impact local economies.

- **Brand Power**: “Avocados From Mexico” has established itself as a dominant brand, benefiting various stakeholders across the value chain.

Title:

Content: Avocados From Mexico® Celebrates 10 Years of Goodness

Published: Oct. 20, 2023 at 7:30 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago

The leading avocado brand in the U.S. shares its 10 biggest impacts from a decade of innovation in the produce industry

DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From making the U.S. the world's leader in avocado consumption, to creating an avocado brand in a brandless category and debuting the first-ever commercial about a fruit during the Big Game: Avocados From Mexico® has paved a fresh path in the produce marketing industry.

Avocados From Mexico, the #1 selling brand of avocados in the U.S., has spent ten years building a brand that is: always good, always good for you1, fun and delicious. With bold marketing that drives demand, strategic partnerships with CPG brands and a robust seasonal strategy all year, Avocados From Mexico has become known as a disruptive, world-class marketer and innovation powerhouse.

This October marks the 10th anniversary of Avocados From Mexico. While attending the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) trade show this week, Avocados From Mexico is celebrating this milestone, and the strategy that has defined the past decade of growth. The brand released its top 10 impacts since becoming a brand, along with an infographic that shares exactly what the brand has been cooking up for a decade and the results of some truly delicious innovations.

"This anniversary is a major milestone for Avocados From Mexico," said Avocados From Mexico President and CEO, Alvaro Luque. "We are celebrating 10 years of goodness, 10 years of growth, 10 years of driving demand for avocados in the U.S., 10 years of relentless passion for innovation, strong performance and fun. I'm so proud of all we have done, and I truly can't wait to see what we can accomplish next."

The fruits of the brand's decade of labor include:

  • Avocados From Mexico is the preferred brand of avocados in the U.S. The brand nearly tripled brand preference, reaching more than 50%.2
  • In 2015, the brand became the first produce brand to advertise during the Big Game, highlighting the synergy between avocados and football season.
  • In 2020, the brand was named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators by FastCompany, and in 2021, was #1 in FastCompany's Most Innovative Companies in the world in the branding category.
  • The brand also more than doubled the U.S. avocado market; now eight out of 10 avocados in the U.S. come from Mexico.3
  • The brand created a win-win story between two countries. The U.S. economic output of imported avocados from Mexico has increased more than 500% and its U.S. GDP is up five times to more than $6.1B annually.4
  • Avocados From Mexico reinvented shopper marketing, achieving growth in household penetration by six million new households and 19% growth in purchase frequency.
  • The brand avo-educated U.S. foodservice operators and retailer partners through Avocado University, the 1st and only certified avocado education program.
  • Avocados From Mexico also freshened up menus with avocados, seeing 20% growth in foodservice market share and in menu penetration.5

"In ten years, Avocados From Mexico has become the top-selling, most recognized avocado brand in the U.S. and the most innovative company in produce marketing. I would like to thank our employees, growers, packers, importers and partners, who have laid the groundwork for our success and have built the path for the bright future ahead of us," said Luque.

For 10 years, Avocados From Mexico has built a platform on goodness. Goodness for consumers, by bringing more high-quality, nutritious avocados to their tables at home and in restaurants. Goodness for the retailers, by supporting them with innovative marketing and growing the market. Goodness for the environment by embedding sustainable practices into the avocado industry, and goodness with fun times. The brand is always good, for everyone the brand touches, for the first 10 years, and the next.

To learn more about Avocados From Mexico, visit https://avocadosfrommexico.com, Facebook (facebook.com/avocadosfrommexico), Instagram (@avocadosfrommexico) or Twitter (@AvosFromMexico).

About Avocados From Mexico
Avocados From Mexico is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of Avocados From Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers & Packers of Mexico (APEAM) have combined resources to fund and manage Avocados From Mexico, with the intent to provide a focused, highly- effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. Avocados From Mexico is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

Sources

  1. Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. Source: https://avocadosfrommexico.com/avocado-nutrition/
  2. Hall & Partners Brand Tracking
  3. Hass Avocado Board Volume Data
  4. Texas A&M: The Economic Benefits of U.S. Avocado Imports from Mexico, 2022 Update
  5. Technomic: Volumetric Study, Dec 2022

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SOURCE Avocados From Mexico

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What are the positive effects of the global demand for avocados on the countries and regions that produce and export them?

**Environmental and Social Concerns:**
- **Deforestation & Land Use**: Rising demand has incentivized the expansion of avocado farms, sometimes contributing to deforestation, especially in Mexico’s primary growing regions.

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Content: For foodies, workers, restaurant owners and investors on both sides of the Rio Grande border, Friday brought a sigh of relief after the United States lifted its temporary ban on imports of Mexican avocados.

The week-long pause — albeit a short one — had fueled concerns in the avocado industry, from the workers who pick the fruit in Mexico to consumers worrying about a potential shortage of a staple in the diets of many Americans.

Mexico supplies about 80 percent of the avocados eaten in the United States. The import ban — stemming from purported threats to a U.S. inspector in the Latin American country — shook a billion-dollar industry. Not only did the commotion showcase the law enforcement issues that growers are frequently subjected to in Mexico, but experts said it underscored the importance of one of the strongest and most successful bilateral trade agreements.

Before being smeared into toast or squashed into guacamole, the avocado’s life begins in an orchard in Michoacán — a western Mexican state over a thousand miles away from the border and the only one allowed to send over avocados to the United States. From a bright-green fruit hanging atop trees to its final stage inside American kitchens, the avocado’s journey from seed to food encompasses different phases of inspections and agreements between the two nations — which suddenly took a hit.

Last week, a plant safety inspector from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was inspecting avocados in Michoacán, when he saw some avocados that looked suspiciously like they came from another state, according to USDA and other industry experts. He raised a red flag and soon after, he received a voice-mail threat. Then the USDA announced it was shutting down imports until it could be assured its agents were safe.

The potential of an impending shortage quickly rippled across the industry — one that came shortly before the Super Bowl, one of the avocado’s biggest events. Soon, food establishments and groceries began worrying about keeping up with a demand that has exponentially increased throughout the past decade.

Prices for the fruit deemed “green gold” were already 100 percent higher than the previous year, said David Magaña, a senior analyst for RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness. But the year-long availability of avocados had also increased as well — indicating that a surge in demand can be attributed to different factors, he said.

For one, avocados, with their versatility and healthy fat attributes, became a food trend and Internet obsession. At the same time, the Hispanic population booms across the country — with a larger share of Latinos among Gen Z — have been “one of the major forces pulling the demand for avocados,” the analyst said.

But behind all those green juices and avocado Instagram-worthy photos is the partnership between Mexico and the United States — which has played a crucial role in enabling the market to expand.

In 1995 — a time when “fat-free” food staples ruled the market — the United States did not have much of a taste for avocados. The majority of the consumed fruit was produced in California. Avocado imports that year totaled $14.7 million, of which $700,000 came from Mexico, said David Orden, a professor in the department of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech.

Mexico’s avocados had been banned in the decades before the North American Free Trade Agreement from 1994, Orden said — mostly out of a concern that weevils, scabs and other pests could enter U.S. orchards from imported products. The trade agreement opened the door for the incremental expansion of avocados.

In establishing a system in which U.S. inspectors verify that avocados are pest-free — from when they are growing in orchards to the moment they are packed into sealed trucks — Mexico has been allowed to ship its agricultural product. It started with an approved wintertime stock in Alaska back in the ’90s that has turned into a current year-long supply in all states.

“So that’s all very encouraging and great story about growth and trade agreements, and something the U.S. is trying to do in other countries as well,” Orden said.

The agreement has contributed to economic progress in both sides of the border. Last year, “the two-way food and agricultural trade reached $65 billion, including $2.8 billion in Mexican avocado exports to the United States,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in a statement. In Michoacán, some 300,000 workers depend on the avocado industry — including those doing the picking, the packing and the transporting of the fruit.

But their livelihoods have been threatened by encumbering cartels, who see the booming industry as a golden hen for profit, Orden said.

“It has attracted the attention of these gangs in an area where the cartels are not under control,” he said. “That’s where this story takes on a shadier color. But that’s really a law enforcement issue, and one that affects all of our relationships with Mexico.”

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement that it had worked with the Mexican government and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico to enact “additional measures” to safeguard the safety of its inspectors.

While the agency did not disclose what such measures encompass, they served to avert what could have been a costly avocado crisis — one that would had impacted plenty, from those picking the fruit to those biting into their avocado toasts.

“With this we ensure the exportation of fruit and provide economic certainty to farmers and day laborers,” Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla tweeted Friday.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the environment?

- **Water Use**: Avocados require significant water resources, straining areas where water is already scarce or contested.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the environment?

- **Criminal Involvement**: The industry has drawn attention from organized crime in Mexico.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the social structure and the economy of the countries that produce them?