"Blood Avocados"01.01.2017 at 11:45
Some call them the new "blood diamonds." In Mexico, where the world of crime is dominated by drug cartels and arms trafficking, avocados are becoming the center of a new war
Whenever we eat a delicious avocado, whether in its version of fruit or in guacamole, its most popular gastronomic version, we think of the richness of its flavor, of being healthy, even a "superfood." But we certainly never think that this fruit could be at the center of a crime wave. Well, be aware: since the demand for so-called "green gold" has skyrocketed worldwide (in Spain, in 2015, more than 81500 tonnes of avocados have been consumed, in the USA this number amounts to an impressive 1.9 thousand Million tons), the value of this fruit came to attract the attention of criminal groups. Still in 2013, the world production of avocado had been of 4,717,102 tons.
In Mexico, the largest avocado producer - the country accounts for 33% of world production - there is a real war between cartels contesting the dominance of "green gold" plantations. The region of Michoacán, where most of the plantations are concentrated, is the most affected.
The drug cartel "Cabelleros Templarios" (Knights Templar) has infiltrated the sector and now controls all local trade, from production to distribution. The estimated profits of this business were 152 million dollars (144 million euros) a year - which allows us to understand why it is so coveted. Farmers are forced to pay huge amounts of money to the cartels, who threaten to kill their families. Thus, they are forced to act outside the law, hiding the avocados among the trees, deforesting acres of land without end or setting fires to plant the fruit afterwards.
Members of the drug cartel "Cabelleros Templários" caught by the police. This is the main cartel that took over the avocado business in Mexico, extorting farmers
Members of the drug cartel "Cabelleros Templários" caught by the police. This is the main cartel that took over the avocado business in Mexico, extorting farmers
In addition to becoming a luxury commodity, the massive cultivation of avocados also has enormous environmental implications, since it requires very high amounts of water - 242 liters for each kilo of fruit, more precisely. Its uncontrolled production also leads to the deforestation of 600 to 1000 hectares of forest in Mexico each year.
But it is not only in Mexico that there has been criminality regarding avocado. In New Zealand, more than 40 assaults have occurred this year. In the supermarkets of the country, posters warn the thieves that at night there is no money in the store ... or avocados.
As for you, what can you do when you eat avocados? Perceive the country of origin, avoiding buying Mexican avocados to be able to reduce the profits of this criminal business. And expect an environmental certificate seal to be placed on the market, ensuring that some avocados do not contribute to the destruction of the environment.
http://expresso.sapo.pt/sociedade/2017-01-01-Abacates-de-sangue
