Presentation of Mexican study on environmental impact of avocado
Mexico’s avocado production and exports continue to grow. Its European market share has also grown over the last years. The Netherlands is by far Europe’s largest importer and exporter of avocados. But what is the environmental impact of this growing avocado trade between Mexico and Europe? This was the leading question in a new study, commissioned by the Netherlands Embassy in Mexico, which focused particularly on Jalisco, Mexico’s second most important avocado producing state. The findings of the study are now complete and will be presented in an on-line session on 9 May. During the session, several sustainability-related initiatives currently underway in Jalisco will be presented to Dutch avocado importers and other stakeholders interested in contributing to a more sustainable avocado value chain. Registration for the session is open now.
The world’s largest avocado producer and exporter
Mexico is the world’s largest avocado producer and exporter. Its avocado production accounts for 30% of the world’s total avocado production and is growing at an average annual rate of 3%, as global avocado demand continues to rise.
More than half of Mexico’s avocado production is meant for exports. While most of Mexico’s avocado exports are destined for the United States, a growing proportion is exported to the European market: From 2017 to 2021, Mexico’s avocado exports to the European market grew almost fourfold from € 65 million to € 255 million, positioning Mexico as Europe’s third largest avocado supplier (only behind Peru and Colombia). Even though European imports of Mexican avocados dropped in 2022, it is expected that Mexico will continue to play an important role as avocado supplier to the European market.
Environmental costs
Mexico’s avocado boom has come at a cost for the environment. In recent years, much has been written about land use change and deforestation to make way for avocado plantations in Michoacan, the Mexican state where 75% of Mexico’s avocados are grown and until 2022 the only Mexican state that was allowed to export to the US market. Much less was written or known about the environmental impact of the avocado boom in the state of Jalisco, the second largest avocado producing state in Mexico, where most of the avocados exported to Europe are grown.
The Netherlands’ role in global avocado trade
The Netherlands plays an important role in the world’s avocado trade. Over the last years, it has become the world’s second largest importer and exporter of avocados. At the same time, environmental requirements in Europe for imported fruit are getting stricter, with new regulations both at the EU level and at EU member state level.
New study
In this context, the Embassy of The Netherlands commissioned a study into the expected trends in avocado trade from Jalisco to Europe, the environmental impact of this trade and the production of avocados destined for Europe and into promising initiatives in Jalisco that address and aim to minimize such environmental impact. The results of this study will be presented in an online session on Wednesday 9 May from 16:00 to 18:00 hours (8:00 to 10:00 Mexico-City/Guadalajara time) by the lead author of the study Alfredo Cuaron, of environmental research and consultancy firm SACBE.
Sustainability initiatives in Jalisco’s avocado sector
In the session, other sustainability-related initiatives currently underway in Jalisco’s avocado sector will be presented as well: Jalisco’s Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (SEMADET), Jalisco’s association of avocado producers and exporters APEAJAL as well as the international NGO Rainforest Alliance will present the activities each of them are currently undertaking to curb the environmental impact of Jalisco’s avocado production, and how they believe Dutch and European importers can get involved and contribute to increased sustainability in the avocado trade.
Registration
Dutch avocado importers, Mexican avocado producers and other stakeholders interested in contributing to a sustainable avocado value chain are invited to join the session and register at bit.ly/3nWgBt9