The global demand for avocados has increased significantly over the past few years, with the US being the largest consumer, accounting for almost half of the world's avocado demand.

Avocado consumption in the US has increased four times in the past 20 years, indicating a growing appetite for the fruit among American consumers.

Mexico is the world's largest producer of avocados, accounting for 70% of its production coming from the state of Michoacán.

The economic benefits of avocado production are substantial, with Mexico's avocado exports to the US reaching $2.8 billion last year, and the industry supporting over 300,000 workers in Michoacán.

However, the environmental impact of avocado production is a major concern, with deforestation, water depletion, and soil erosion being some of the significant issues.

Avocado cultivation requires a significant amount of water, with approximately 1,000 liters of water needed to produce one kilogram of avocados, contributing to water scarcity in countries like Mexico.

The social effects of avocado production on local farming communities are also significant, with many farmers and workers facing exploitation and displacement.

To mitigate these negative impacts, sustainable farming practices, such as efficient irrigation systems and integrated pest management, can be implemented.

Certification schemes like Fairtrade and Organic can also promote sustainable avocado production and ensure fair labor practices.

Governments, NGOs, and private companies can collaborate to support small-scale farmers in transitioning to sustainable practices and promoting alternative crops.

The integration of technology, such as precision agriculture and renewable energy, can also play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of avocado production.

Overall, the rising demand for avocados has significant economic, environmental, and social implications, and implementing sustainable practices is crucial to mitigate the negative effects and ensure the long-term viability of the industry.

The global demand for avocados has increased significantly over the past few years, with the US being the largest consumer, accounting for almost half of the world's avocado demand.

Title:

Content: Go to contents
In one day, two politicians were killed in a Mexican avocado.
In one day, two politicians were killed in a Mexican avocado.
Posted February.
29, 2024 07: 26
Updated February.
29, 2024 07: 26
한국어
On the 26th, in the high-income avocado (Avocado • avocado), the world's largest producer of avocado, in Maravatio, Michoacán state, southeast Mexico, two candidates for mayor were shot dead.
Avocado is a healthy super food, especially in developed countries such as the United States.
However, in the local area of Mexico, various criminal forces around the control of circulation is very fierce, resulting in frequent violence.
According to local media reports such as "El Universal", on the afternoon of the 26th, in the center of Malabatio, Miguel Angel Reyes, the candidate for mayor and current doctor of the ruling party Morena (Morena), was shot dead by unknown persons on the way to the car.
On the same night, Armando Pérez Runa, a candidate for mayor of the opposition National Action Party (PAN), was also shot dead.
Authorities speculate that this is a crime committed by forces trying to influence the elections in the run-up to June 2, when the elections, parliamentary elections and local council elections are held simultaneously.
Michoacán is known as a region where various criminal organizations are active, such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Mexico ’ s most powerful criminal organization.
Conflicts of interest between organizations have been fraught.
Last year, the number of attacks against politicians and government associates (Michoacán) ranked fifth out of all 32 states.
At the same time, in Michoacán, avocados can be harvested four times a year, based on the mild climate, etc.
About 70% of Mexico ’ s avocado production comes from this region.
Most of this is exported to the United States, which accounts for almost half of world demand.
According to statistics from professional statistics website Statista, the per capita avocado consumption in the United States in 2022 is about 4.2 kg, an increase of about four times over 20 years ago.
With the increasing profitability of avocado cultivation, many criminal organizations vie for circulation rights.
Civic Data, a local civic group, fears that attacks by various criminal groups may reach the worst levels in history when local councils are sworn in and elections are held this year.
Illegal cultivation of avocado cultivation is also high. At least 300 square kilometers of forest have been turned into avocado plantations in 2018-2023.
In response, the authorities recently said that they will prevent the export of avocados grown on illegal farmland.
邮箱 ： donga @ donga.com

How has avocado consumption changed in recent years?

What are the countries and regions that import avocados?

Avocado consumption in the US has increased four times in the past 20 years, indicating a growing appetite for the fruit among American consumers.

How has avocado consumption changed in recent years?

Mexico is the world's largest producer of avocados, accounting for 70% of its production coming from the state of Michoacán.

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

The economic benefits of avocado production are substantial, with Mexico's avocado exports to the US reaching $2.8 billion last year, and the industry supporting over 300,000 workers in Michoacán.

Title:

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 are the countries and regions that produce and export avocados?

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

However, the environmental impact of avocado production is a major concern, with deforestation, water depletion, and soil erosion being some of the significant issues.

Title:

Content: Avocado: Between Environmental Impacts and Global Market Controllers
In the Mexican state of Michoacán, which produces about 80% of the world ’ s avocado, avocado cultivation has depleted local water supplies and caused severe environmental damage, with studies showing that avocado cultivation has led to deforestation, soil erosion and chemical contamination of water sources.
(Getty)
In recent years, the avocado industry has become a staple in many diets around the world, and its popularity has increased greatly due to the multiple health benefits.
However, the demand for this fruit has led to harmful environmental effects and the emergence of a mafia that controls the production and distribution of avocados in some countries.
A Chilean study published recently said that avocado cultivation has caused severe water shortages, as well as in Peru, where large farmers have dominated the avocado market since the 1990s, where cultivation requires huge amounts of water, the production of one kilogram of avocado, consumes about 1,000 liters of water, much more than other crops such as tomatoes or oranges.
According to a report by the Water Footprint Network, the production of one kilogram of tomatoes requires about 300 liters of water, and the high water use of avocado production has led to water scarcity and depletion of aquifers in some areas.
In the Mexican state of Michoacán, which produces about 80% of the world ’ s avocado, avocado cultivation has depleted local water supplies and caused severe environmental damage, with studies showing that avocado cultivation has led to deforestation, soil erosion and chemical contamination of water sources.
According to the report, moving avocados from the production site to the market also has a significant impact on the climate, as avocados are grown mainly in developing countries, and are exported to developed countries such as the United States, Europe and Japan, and the transport of avocados over long distances contributes to greenhouse gas emissions harmful to the environment. Approximately 5.4 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per kg of avocado.
Avocado production has also led to the emergence of a mafia that controls the production and distribution of avocados in some countries, where the avocado mafia operates mainly in Mexico, where it controls the production and export of avocados, and this mafia, according to media reports, consists of criminal organizations that use violence and intimidation to control the production and distribution of avocados, and often extort money from farmers. The avocado mafia uses violence to eliminate competitors and dominate the export market, as studies have shown that these gangs are responsible for deforestation, land grabbing and violence against indigenous communities in Mexico.
According to dozens of studies published in recent years, avocado cultivation also has negative effects on local communities. In some areas, demand for avocados has led to land grabbing, community displacement, labor exploitation, and avocado cultivation in the Mexican state of Michoacán has led to the displacement of indigenous communities and the exploitation of often paid migrant workers. Some studies have shown that the expansion of avocado cultivation has displaced traditional crops, leading to food insecurity and loss of biodiversity.
According to the study, governments around the world can take various measures to mitigate the impact of this agriculture on the climate, and one way is to promote sustainable avocado farming practices that reduce water use and reduce the use of chemicals. Protect the environment, provide financial incentives to farmers and enact laws that will deter illegal and criminal practices in these countries.

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

Avocado cultivation requires a significant amount of water, with approximately 1,000 liters of water needed to produce one kilogram of avocados, contributing to water scarcity in countries like Mexico.

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

The social effects of avocado production on local farming communities are also significant, with many farmers and workers facing exploitation and displacement.

What illegal activities have surfaced in avocado trade in recent years?

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

displacement of local communities
labor exploitation
land grabbing

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

improving working conditions for employees

To mitigate these negative impacts, sustainable farming practices, such as efficient irrigation systems and integrated pest management, can be implemented.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Certification schemes like Fairtrade and Organic can also promote sustainable avocado production and ensure fair labor practices.

Title:

Content: New study finds Fairtrade enhances farmer resilience and sustainability

The research assessed Fairtrade’s contribution in terms of economic resilience, social wellbeing and good governance

Being part of a Fairtrade-certified producer organisation can improve farmers’ economic resilience, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability, according to a new study commissioned by Fairtrade Germany and Fairtrade Austria.

The study, Assessing the Impact of Fairtrade on Poverty Reduction and Economic Resilience through Rural Development, suggests that Fairtrade certification also leads to good governance in co-operatives.

And researchers found that Fairtrade standards, Fairtrade pricing, and producer support programmes positively impact certified farmers and their communities compared to non-Fairtrade certified farmers, particularly in times of difficulty and distress.

They examined the same producer organisations three times over 10 years, and studied the performance of a cocoa co-op in Ghana, a coffee co-op and three banana co-ops in Peru and found their farmers had higher earnings and more savings than those in comparable non-Fairtrade organisations. For example, coffee farmer members of the Fairtrade-certified La Florida co-op in Peru reported incomes 50% higher than those of non-Fairtrade farmers.

“In times of crisis, it becomes evident that Fairtrade enhances farmers’ economic resilience and supports them in continuing their profession in challenging times,” said Tatjana Mauthofer, researcher at Mainlevel Consulting and co-author of the study. “The study shows that the two Fairtrade mechanisms – the Minimum Price and the Premium – represent a crucial safety net for farmers, their small producer organisations and eventually, also their communities.”

The research assesses Fairtrade’s contribution in terms of economic resilience, social wellbeing, good governance and environmental integrity and builds on two previous studies (in 2012 and 2018) featuring the same Fairtrade-certified producer organisations.

The study makes several recommendations, including supporting product and income diversification to reduce farmers’ vulnerability and enhance their resilience; setting up credit schemes to enable farmers to modernise their farms; and providing training on financial literacy for coffee, cocoa and banana farmers.

In this article

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

improving working conditions for employees

Governments, NGOs, and private companies can collaborate to support small-scale farmers in transitioning to sustainable practices and promoting alternative crops.

Title:

Content: 00: 00
Expo 2020 Dubai Today
Sustainability as the basis for the eradication of hunger
In 2015, 193 countries met within the framework of the United Nations and pledged to end global hunger by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Agenda.
With less than a decade left, the odds of achieving that goal seem slim.
Clearly, improving these prospects requires governments and the private sector to simultaneously address the global food and environmental crises.
Food insecurity has increased in recent years as a result of conflict and climate change, as well as the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the accompanying global economic crisis.
Today, as many as 811 million people suffer from hunger, including an additional 132 million people who were classified as malnourished during the pandemic, and another 3 billion people who are too poor to afford a healthy diet.
The fight against hunger has traditionally focused on producing more food – but this has come at a high environmental cost.
Agriculture consumes 70% of the world ’ s fresh water and 40% of its land.
Agriculture has contributed to the imminent extinction of about 1 million species.
Food production also generates 30% of greenhouse-gas emissions, the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon.
Policymakers seeking to eradicate hunger today face an extremely difficult dilemma: preventing billions of people from going hungry while saving the planet.
For example, fertilizer subsidies may increase crop yields and reduce hunger, but they may also lead to overuse of nitrogen, thus damaging the soil.
Similarly, livestock farming and rice farming emit methane, a greenhouse gas stronger than carbon dioxide.
The most effective way to reduce methane emissions is to tax them.
But this would cause food prices to rise, affecting poor consumers ’ access to food, and threatening the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers.
Therefore, countries need to establish an optimal level of environmental pollution that does not reduce agricultural productivity or undermine the social and economic well-being of the poor.
We need a solution that feeds most mouths without endangering the planet.
Reaching a workable plan requires looking at diets holistically – a major departure from the current, isolated approach.
To avoid any unintended consequences, it is critical to quantify any data swaps.
Turning data-driven strategies into action on the ground also requires concerted efforts to boost public and private investment.
No single intervention will solve the problem of hunger.
But studies suggest that a combination of key measures aimed at increasing farm productivity and reducing food loss and waste could reduce the number of people chronically hungry by 314 million in the next decade, and provide 568 million people with healthy diets.
Expanding national safety nets across countries, including school feeding programmes, could provide an additional 2.4 billion people with access to a healthy diet by 2030.
Another study shows how a series of low-cost initiatives could end hunger for 500 million people by 2030 while also reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
These include agricultural research and development projects to produce food more efficiently, information services that provide farmers with weather forecasts and crop prices, literacy programs for women – who account for nearly half of small farmers in developing countries – and expanded social protection.
All this can be achieved if rich countries double their food security assistance to $26 billion a year until 2030, and the poorest countries maintain their annual investments at $19 billion.
Automation can help manage trade-offs between food production and environmental protection.
For example, equipment called AgBots, which are similar to small farm vehicles, can recognize and remove weeds.
Because they don ’ t use expensive chemical herbicides, they can help reduce the cost of weeding by 90% and protect the soil from potentially harmful chemicals.
Similarly, artificial intelligence technologies and cloud solutions can detect pest infested areas using drone imaging.
The data collected can help guide and inform decisions by farmers regarding irrigation, agriculture and fertilization, and indicate the best time of year for the sale of a particular crop.
Governments must now work with the private sector to make high-tech precision farming systems available at lower costs, especially to small farmers.
The good news is that private companies are increasingly keen to promote sustainability – including through “blended finance ” schemes that combine initial investment by governments or multilateral financial institutions with subsequent trade finance.
This approach can effectively reduce the risk of private financing and encourage investment in improving food systems.
For example, the governments of the United States and the Netherlands are working with German coffee company Neumann Café Group and three European banks to provide a $25 million loan to smallholder farmers in Colombia, Kenya, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and Uganda to promote sustainable coffee production.
Banks initially rejected the proposal because small farmers are usually excluded from financial services, leaving them unable to prove their creditworthiness and turning them into a high-risk category in the eyes of commercial lenders.
But banks signed on to the scheme after the Dutch government and Neumann Café Group agreed to cover the first 10 percent of the losses if the initiative did not work, with the US government absorbing 40 percent of the remaining losses.
Critics will argue that countries should be individually responsible for reversing rising levels of hunger through domestic policies.
While this may be true, other problems such as greenhouse-gas emissions cannot be addressed by a single country or region and need to be addressed and funded globally.
Saving the planet should not necessarily come at the expense of feeding the poor, and vice versa.
If governments properly organize their efforts, there is still a chance to eradicate poverty by 2030.
* Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
opinion @ albayan.ae
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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

The integration of technology, such as precision agriculture and renewable energy, can also play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of avocado production.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Overall, the rising demand for avocados has significant economic, environmental, and social implications, and implementing sustainable practices is crucial to mitigate the negative effects and ensure the long-term viability of the industry.

How has avocado consumption changed in recent years?

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

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

displacement of local communities
labor exploitation

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?