The avocado has caused a hype rarely seen in recent decades.
The burden of the rising demand lies mainly on the Mexican state of Michoacan. There, forests are being illegally cleared by fire to plant avocado plantations. The high international demand has led to more extensive and numerous plantations. Over 300,000 jobs directly or indirectly depend on the production and trade of avocados in the region, which generates annual revenues of $2.5 billion. In 2021 Michoacán alone produced some 1.8 million tons of the green fruit.
In the ongoing drug war, the cartels have become drawn to the revenue potential from the avocado trade. Protection rackets and the overall presence of the cartels have put enormous pressure on what was until recently Mexico‘s only state with an export license. With escalating violence, the government has had to send in the military to maintain order. In mid-2022, exports to the United States, the largest consumer of the fruit, had to be temporarily halted.
The avocado has caused a hype rarely seen in recent decades.
The burden of the rising demand lies mainly on the Mexican state of Michoacan. There, forests are being illegally cleared by fire to plant avocado plantations. The high international demand has led to more extensive and numerous plantations. Over 300,000 jobs directly or indirectly depend on the production and trade of avocados in the region, which generates annual revenues of $2.5 billion. In 2021 Michoacán alone produced some 1.8 million tons of the green fruit.
In the ongoing drug war, the cartels have become drawn to the revenue potential from the avocado trade. Protection rackets and the overall presence of the cartels have put enormous pressure on what was until recently Mexico‘s only state with an export license. With escalating violence, the government has had to send in the military to maintain order. In mid-2022, exports to the United States, the largest consumer of the fruit, had to be temporarily halted.