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

When people think of big crimes, they usually think of drugs, human trafficking, and illegal guns. But now, a new illegal business is growing fast in South America and Mexico: avocado smuggling. This affects many people in Mexico and also makes avocados more expensive for Americans.

Why This Happened

In the past ten years, two big things happened in the United States. First, many states made marijuana legal. By 2022, 18 states allowed adults to use it. This created a new legal market, making billions of dollars. Second, Americans started loving "superfoods" like avocados. Since 2010, Americans are eating almost twice as many avocados, mostly from Mexico.

Economic Impact in Mexico

Making marijuana legal in the U.S. hurt Mexican drug cartels because they used to make a lot of money selling illegal marijuana. Now, they are making money from avocados. Michoacan, which grows 80% of Mexico's avocados, is now a place where cartels fight for control. This has made violence worse. In 2019, there were about 1,500 murders, and cartels steal about four truckloads of avocados every day.

The Human Cost

In areas where avocados are grown, crime is high, but police are few and not well-equipped. For example, Uruapan, a city in Michoacan, has only 130 police officers. The violent Cártel de Jalisco Nuevo Generación uses brutal methods, like showing the bodies of those who resist them.

Civilian Militias and Continued Violence

Because the government can't protect people, locals in Michoacan have made their own militias, funded by avocado farmers. At first, these militias protected people, but now some also extort money from farmers, causing more violence and corruption.

Expansion of the Avocado Frontier

Violence helps cartels take over new land for growing avocados. Cartels work with business elites and officials to change land use. This leads to deforestation, which means cutting down forests. Cartels remove people and forests, elites invest in new avocado farms, and officials give permits and market access. Fighting deforestation needs tackling corruption and fixing weak state agencies.

Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity

From 1976 to 2000, Michoacan lost 521,426 hectares of forest, and from 2001 to 2018, 269,676 hectares were deforested, mostly turned into farmland. Avocado farming replaces forests, harming plants and animals. Illegal deforestation also threatens monarch butterflies by destroying their special habitat.

Soil Health and Water Supply

Growing lots of avocados harms the soil, reducing nutrients and increasing erosion. Avocados need a lot of water, causing conflicts and illegal well digging. In Uruapan, 77% of groundwater is used for avocados, with pesticides contaminating drinking water, which is a health risk.

Solutions for Cleaner Avocados

People are starting to see the social and environmental impact of avocado farming and the link to crime. Suggestions include rewarding good farming practices, regulating investments, and promoting certified producers. Policies for sustainable land use, strong community governance, and forest conservation are crucial. In July 2022, certifications are being used to export avocados to the U.S., aiming for sustainability.

A Call for Action

The U.S. needs to help Mexico fight crime and stabilize governance. Cartels’ methods to control avocado farms could spread to other areas. If the U.S. keeps buying from illegitimate sources, this crime will continue. The "Avocado Wars" show the mix of legal and illegal markets. Solving this needs international cooperation and strong legal systems.

Source material is here and here.