"Blood Avocados: The Dark Side of Your Favorite Superfood "

When most people think of transnational crime, they imagine drug traffickers, human traffickers, and illicit arms dealers. However, a lesser-known but rapidly growing illicit business is emerging in South America and Mexico: avocado smuggling. This industry has significantly impacted the lives of Mexicans and poses a hidden cost for American consumers.

The Rise of Legal Marijuana and the Superfood Boom

In the past decade, two major trends in the United States have caused ripple effects across global markets. Firstly, the legalization of marijuana has gained momentum, with 18 states legalizing and regulating its use for adults by 2022. This shift has led to a legal marijuana market projected to generate upwards of $25 billion in sales by 2025. Secondly, the American obsession with "superfoods" has skyrocketed. Foods like avocados have seen a surge in popularity due to their perceived health benefits. Since 2010, avocado consumption in the U.S. has nearly doubled, with Mexico supplying the majority of these imports.

Economic Shockwaves in Mexico

The legalization of marijuana in the U.S. has economically shocked Mexican drug cartels. Previously, these cartels profited from exporting marijuana to the U.S. through the black market. With this revenue stream drying up, cartels have turned their attention to avocados, particularly in Michoacan, which produces 80% of Mexico's avocados. Cartels are now violently competing for control over avocado farms, pickers, trafficking routes, and resources like fuel and water. This competition has resulted in a tripling of the homicide rate in Michoacan, with around 1,500 homicides recorded in 2019 alone. Officials report an average of four truckloads of avocados hijacked daily.

The Human Cost

In regions with high avocado output, crime rates have soared while local police forces remain small and ill-equipped. For example, Uruapan, the capital city of Michoacan, has only 130 police officers to confront multiple cartel factions. The violent Cártel de Jalisco Nuevo Generación has asserted dominance through brutal tactics, such as publicly displaying the dismembered bodies of those who resist.

Civilian Militias and Continued Violence

Due to the Mexican government's failure to protect residents, Michoacan's citizens have formed their own militias, funded by avocado farmers. These civilian armies, while initially protective, have also resorted to extorting the very farmers they defend, perpetuating a cycle of violence and corruption.

Expansion of the Avocado Frontier

Violence has become a potent political and economic tool in expanding agricultural frontiers, enabling the conquest of new territories, markets, and value chains. Deforestation by drug cartels is deeply connected with legitimate private actors. Drug bosses extract revenues from long-term protection rackets. The collusion between drug cartels, economic elites, and public authorities facilitates this process. Cartels displace people and deforest, economic elites invest in new orchards, and public authorities grant permits, change land use, and provide market access. Addressing illegal deforestation requires tackling systemic corruption and the inefficacy of state agencies.

Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity

Data confirms the environmental impact: between 1976 and 2000, Michoacán experienced a net deforestation of 521,426 hectare  of temperate and tropical forest, while agricultural lands grew by 247,042 hectare . From 2001 to 2018, gross deforestation occurred on 269,676 hectare, transforming primarily into grasslands and cropland. Comparing maps from 1992 and 2018 reveals the progressive disappearance of forest cover, replaced by agricultural land in main avocado-producing municipalities. Avocado monoculture replaces coniferous and deciduous forests, resulting in flora and fauna loss. Illegal deforestation and land-use changes jeopardize monarch butterflies by destroying oyamel fir forests, their unique habitat.

Soil Health and Water Supply

Intensive avocado production degrades soil, reducing organic matter and essential nutrients while increasing soil erosion. Avocados require significant water, leading to social conflicts and illegal well digging. In Uruapan, 77% of groundwater is used for avocado production, with traces of pesticides contaminating water for human consumption, posing health risks.

From Blood Avocados to Clean Fruits: Delusion or Real Opportunity?

Awareness is growing about the avocado industry's social and environmental impact, and the collusion with public authorities and criminal groups. Recommendations include rewarding best production practices, regulating outside capital investment, and promoting niche markets linking consumers to certified producers. Sustainable land use policies, strengthening community governance, and promoting forest conservation are crucial. Despite deforestation concerns, recent certification to export avocados to the US aims for environmental sustainability, potentially raising awareness within Michoacán’s avocado-growing community.

A Call for Action

The United States needs to engage in an honest discussion about assisting Mexico in curbing crime and stabilizing governance. Cartels' methods to control avocado farms are effective and likely to spread to other regions. As long as the U.S. imports goods from illegitimate sources, this type of crime will persist. The "Avocado Wars" highlight the complex interplay between legal and illegal markets. To address this issue, international cooperation and robust legal frameworks are essential.

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1. Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast the environmental impacts of avocado smuggling in Mexico with the illegal wildlife trade in Japan. How do these illicit activities affect biodiversity and local communities differently?

2. Ethical Dilemma: If you were an international policymaker, how would you balance economic interests and environmental conservation in addressing illegal deforestation in Michoacan, Mexico, and illegal logging practices in Japanese forests?

3. Policy Analysis: Evaluate the effectiveness of current international policies in combating transnational crimes like avocado smuggling and the illegal ivory trade in Japan. What improvements could be made to enhance enforcement and reduce these activities?

4. Economic Impact: Discuss the economic consequences of avocado smuggling in Michoacan, Mexico, compared to the financial implications of the illegal fishing industry in Japanese waters. How do these illegal activities influence local economies and global markets?

5. Global Responsibility: As a member of an international task force addressing transnational crimes, propose strategies to coordinate efforts between Mexico and Japan to combat illicit activities such as avocado smuggling and illegal timber trade. How can global cooperation contribute to mitigating these challenges?