Green Gold: Avocado Farming in Mexico

in the central Mexican state of Mortlos. Mendoza story and the story of many Mexican avocado farmers like him, comes to us from wet Stone Magazine six contributor and journalist Megan Fry. Megan, in addition to her work as a journalist, is also a photographer and translator, spent time in Morelos learning about and from the farming community. They're discovering what makes the hass avocados so desirable, both for consumers and producers.

She also tells us about the hassas darker underbelly, it's ties to drug cartels and the environmental havoc it's rereaking on indigenous lands. Megan, can you take us to Modelos and give us a bit of history about the variety of avocado and also why it's so prevalent here in the States. Sure. Yeah, it was actually hers cultivated in California, just outside of Los Angeles by a gentleman named Rudolph

Hass in nine. He was growing experimenting with growing avocado tree um and his property and he made a blend, a mix between a Mexican variety and a Guatemalan variety, and it ended up having a lot of really great qualities, which is why we see so many of them today. The patent was put on it in ve and it started to become you know, widely cultivated back in the nineteen sixties. So the Hass avocado is the most widely and um in terms of numbers as well um cultivated

variety of avocado in the world. Um, because it's grown everywhere now from Mexico to Peru to Indonesia and um. Basically, what makes the Hass avocado is so attractive is the fact that it can be plucked from a tree and when it's not ripe yet, and it will ripen but over the course of three weeks to a month, so it has quite a long period that it can be

sitting in a truck or sitting on a boat. UM. I say a boat because Japan is a major UM importer of avocados as well UM from Mexico, and so it has that quality where other UM more endemic and not genetically modified in any any way, not messed with in any way. Avocados UM don't have that quality of having such a thick skin. UM. You know, they could maybe be plucked from a tree and you've got three to five days, maybe a week, UM that until you have to eat it or else it goes to waste.

The other issue as well is UM that some of them have such a thin skin, especially what they call the um the creole or the creole um mixed avocado UM, that they actually eat the skin it's so thin. The other varieties, while tastier, have thinner skin and therefore less shelf life. Given their reduced monetary value, most varieties of

avocados are going uncultivated and largely ignored. And so this sounds basically like many monocropt plants here in the US, like the cavendish banana, or like the you know, red delicious apple. We see that these varieties are developed primarily for their ability to last a long time. On the

shelves or in this case, off the vine. So it sounds like that's kind of the the same history with the hass avocado, right, Yes, absolutely, that is what makes it so attractive because there are dozens of varieties of avocado, and there are some that are crossbread that are being sold today as well. But um, there's a lot of varieties in especially the Central Mexico into southeastern Mexico that

are tastier than than the hass avocado. They have a more creamy texture and they are widely used in different aspects of the cuisine. But as far as you know, getting an avocado from you know, Central Mexico up to Canada, the hass is the one that will make the trip. In Mexico, the point of origin of the avocado, in the place from where more than of the sold in the United States emanate. There are twenty varieties of avocados, but in supermarkets throughout the US we only see one type,

the Hoss variety. Hass avocados are prized for their adorability and because they mature off the vine, meaning that you can pick a Hoss avocado in Mexico and eat it a month later in Canada. So subsequently, because of all of the desirable characteristics in the marketplace for this avocado, your story leads us into kind of a darker underbelly around this industry because of all of the money that's involved. So can you help us understand what some of the

dynamics are behind the scenes. First, I'd like to say that about of Mexico's avocados that they export go to the United States, and that number, the number in terms of the amount of money that that export was worth in two thousand and seventeen was about three billion dollars. So we're talking about quite a lot of money for

a particular crop. So what we've seen in in places in Mexico, the state that produces the largest quantity of avocados and specifically hostperiety avocados, we have seen that just as as if it were any other cash crop, it tends to attract the attention of people who you know,

are corrupt or have nefarious activities going on there. There have been a lot of reports and The Guardian did a really good report on this couple of years ago about um the green gold is what they call the avocado umo verde, and they call it that metrocon because it's worth so much money that it has attracted the criminal element into its production, and there have been cases of extortion of farms um, of kidnappings and even murder um in order for people to gain control and power

of those farms. There's also been a lot of deforestation um all in a lot of different parts of Mexico in order to um to plant avocado trees, specifically hot avocado trees, because they have so much more value, at least to the people who's interested is in that monetary value than the pine trees or other um species of flora that may inhabit those mountains, the mountainous regions where they grow so well, getting into the darker side of

the avocado trade and um. The government and the Mexican government has had a role in that in that they support you know, this monoculture of the hassa avocado by coming to places such as they did in Morelos and Michua kahn Um. Again the hassa avocado was created in California, but coming and saying okay, this is going to be your crop. And one could argue that that has good

intentions behind it. I mean, these are you know, people who are living in the countryside, who are often quite removed from different types of services, education, um, different types of jobs. You know. So this is certainly you know, in in regions such as Morelos, where they've been growing figs and peaches and other crops apples, for example, Um, the avocado, specifically the hassa avocado, does you know, net them a lot more money than they would um working

their land and selling peaches in the local market. This green gold rush feels like something that's a lot more contemporary. Was there a tipping point in which maybe in consumer behavior or the export market or pricing that that really changed things with the hassa avocado. I've been told by professor at UNAM down in Mexico City that not to had a lot to do with it. Um that opening of you know, the borders in the sense of for trade.

So we're talking about the mid nineties. Yeah, so there's the opening of the door, will say, with NAFTA, And and then there's this consumer you know, supply and demand. Obviously there's there's a lot of people who are traditionally you know, maybe people who have Mexican heritage who are accustomed to avocados you know, being part of their their traditional foods. So they started to be you know, more available in in different parts of the United States and

then throughout the world. So, um, you go to Japan today and you find avocado in the maki roles, and

that was not always the case. So we're talking mostly about the avocado fever as they call it in Morelos starting around two thousand three, and that's when the government came and said, Okay, this is what you're going to be growing, and we're willing to buy back some of the land that was granted two indigenous communities following the Mexican Revolution and its subsequent agrarian reform, So that now we're talking about the twenties and the thirties, but specifically

the nineteen thirties, and so there's actually a process of buying back of that land, of the communal land. When the trade agreement between Mexico, the US, and Canada opened, a heightened demand for the hass avocado ensued. The Mexican government began encroaching into the agricultural sector and making deals with farmers that granted them fixed rates in exchange for planting avocados. Slowly, more farmers began converting into avocado farms.

It is really interesting that the patent came around the same time as the Mexican Congress passed the bills to be able to buy back some of that land. So yeah, we're talking about the Mexican Revolution, which lasts approximately ten years nineteen ninety UM. A big focus so that was peasant rights. People had been working on major Acienda's major estates and plantations that were primarily owned by whether you want, whether they were colonizers originally or families of colonizers or settlers.

So the idea was to give the land back to the people, and that did happen. But Mexico is, um like we all, like most of us, are a capitalist society. So the money spoke a little bit more than the land in in certain places. So for them, it has allowed them to have a lot more of finances, and some of them don't. I mean, there are these communal lands and then there's people who have property right behind their houses and they you know, have their avocados there.

They consider themselves avocado farmers. Whether they you know, whatever is going to sell and whatever they can use, that is what they will cultivate. They learn quite quickly how

to work with it. And actually I was told by some people in Quijotengo that in other communities, like the community leaders have sent some of the farmers two to study avocado um how to mix essentially, how to make a hybrid avocado, and and they're working on that too, you know, create different varieties um like such as the

Mendez and the Humenez. So it's it's work these people are working and with the development of these other cross breeds of avocado be done as a way to compete with the has so has avocados they can pollinate themselves, but it works much better and creates a much stronger crop if they are cross pollinated with other varieties of avocados.

So the idea they they you'll find in most places where they um have where it's an avocado zone as they would call it, they have a lot of hass avocados because that's what makes money, but they'll also have these different varieties of of avocados because it makes for

stronger crop. And so I think that the idea behind that of creating these like cross hybrid you know, in that region is they're looking for something that will be comparable to the hass avocado, but will also benefit all of the avocado trees just in case there's a plague, just in case there's you know, different types of fungus hassa avocados are the tree itself is much more susceptible to um plagues and UM, when I say that, I'm

speaking mostly of like insects. So what they do in a lot of places is actually use the trunk of a different type of pandemic avocado, which is stronger and more resistant to whatever nature may bring its way, whether it's a drought or UM cold or um some kind of epidemic, and then they will use that as a root stock to grow a hass avocado tree out of that.

So I want to ask you about some of the other players behind the scenes in this story, um, And one of the shadow elements that you alluded to earlier has to do with the narco. So at what point did the the kidnappings and the extortion and the you know, claiming of property begin? And UM, who has that conflict been between Yeah, that that conflict has mostly been UM affecting the state of Michoacan. The state of Michuacan has

really just absolutely ideal conditions for avocados. It does not get too cold as it does in certain places more around Mexico City because of elevation, UM it has really fertile soil. There's a lot of dormant volcanoes there. So the people who have been you know, who have these territories and you know, communal land or specifically even communities themselves. Along with heroin, which is you know, a major cash crop um where poppies excuse me, you know um which

become which are used for heroin. The avocado is also worth a lot of money. So it has affected a lot of people by having organized crime come into their

communities and take over their farms, their avocado farms. So they are basically they're taking the money and the livelihood of the people and kind of forcing their kind of keeping them in some ways hostage on their land so that they're working at but they are there and they're the ones that are making the profit on it, and they've done so in in violent, in violent ways in many cases, UM to the point where there's actually vigilante groups who um protect their own crops and they're armed.

They're armed vigilantees just trying to make sure that their cross stay in their hands and that they are actually making some money off of it. Really organized crime and cartels, and call them narcos because it typically deal with UM, you know, illicit substances. They are involved in all kinds of things. UM. They're involved in human trafficking, They're involved in UM anything from even trash removal and pickup. UM.

There's a lot of money in trash. So it's the way that Mexico is set up with its corruption, which has been going on for a long time, UM you know, has has given way for people to operate like this. Going back to the drug war in Mexico, this is like the early two thousands, around the time of the avocado boom, UM, the war on drugs in Mexico, and it has caused in some places a lot of UM violence and a lot of war. Whether we're dealing with

poppies UM or or whether we're dealing with avocados. I think most people that you would talk to in Mexico would tell you that whether you're talking about the military or the police, or the government and the narcos, they're all the same and UM. A number of presidents have been accused of having ties with cartels UM, and obviously they're the ones who are who would be in charge

of a war on drugs. The real battle of Mexico right now is corruption is a major major concern and it has touched the avocado in in ways that are quite interesting. Whether it's whether it's heroin or whether it's avocados. It's useful, it's brings in a lot of money, and so people want to control it. Yeah, because this is I mean in terms of a lot of money. We're talking about a two billion dollar export business just for

avocados alone. Yeah, and just to do just to the United States, just the US, Yeah, at least two billion. And so for these farmers, even though historically avocado has been a part of their diet, they're presumably not eating these hass avocados because they are so valuable. Because on the one hand, there is this really valuable crop that that they're growing, but on the other hand, there are all these other factions which are hugely complicating their lives

with the government, with the cartels. How are the farmers in places like Mitua con navigating making a living and also um, all of the things that they're having to struggle against as well. With the farmers that I spoke to. Some of them were flat out, no, we don't eat this product because it is so valuable. Why would we eat our most valuable products. And others are a little bit more lax about it, and they will eat them. But for them, you know, this is it's it really

is how they make their money. Um, they don't grow peaches anymore. UM. You know, they've they've switched completely. So a day in the life. UM. You know, it's interesting because the in in waihotel Ango, the farmers that I spoke with and then I spent time with, have told me very clearly that there UM quality of life has

improved dramatically in the village. And these are in some cases, these are areas that were impacted by UM, the seven point one magnitude earthquake that hit not far from there in September of two thousand and seventeen, UM that caused a variety of UM disasters. People are actually reconstructing their homes in some of these places. They have hopes that

their children will go to college. And these are things that twenty years ago before, you know, right before the avocado fever hit this particular village, it wasn't really something that people had as a realistic expectation. So there's an increase to medical care, there's an increase to being able to somebody at least that you know has a car. So that has changed a lot of things, as you can imagine, um, new roads, paved roads, um, that kind

of thing. So as far as the daily life, I mean right now there are some people who are repairing their homes and other members of the family are, you know, working with the crops. If it's a good year, there's not a lot that you have to do with the crops at all, you know. And by good year, I mean if there's enough rain and and that isn't a concern in in a lot of places in the world, and especially it really is in Mexico and Central Mexico. Um. So I think people have a quiet pace of life

in in in these communities. Yes, okay. In fact, I remember that the house also used to be worth the same as the fourth day eight pasos when it began, and then they gave it more value when they started exporting it. I remember when we were behind in a lot of ways. But yes, I have seen the improvement. O. We see still some of these places are quite remote, UM, or at least were remote until they started to put

in more highways, you know. And and this is something that happened in basically between the seventies UM up until more recently in the early two thousand's. You know, these were communities that um you know, in order to get something to market, they would have to travel for days, you know, a couple of days. New Mexico operates at least informal economy. What what happens a lot is that

people will come from different places. So the city of Puebla, the city of Cornavaca, the city of Mexico city UM into this these particular parts of um Morelos and I'm sure the same as in Metro kan and and Guerrero and and others. Dates that our avocado producers they come from the city and they offer a price and UM and then they take that back into to market. And you know, I asked about that, and you know, they said the farmers. You know, I'm like, do you feel

like you're getting a fair shake? And they said that, you know, essentially yes, because they're selling their avocados for more than they were ever worth in the past. And it's three hours to get into Mexico City, you know, from there, and that's gas money, you know, and that's time. So they end up selling them, you know, to a third party that comes by and either takes them to um ah an export business like a packing um facility which is nearby. Actually, you mentioned earlier that some farmers

are beginning to cross breed new varieties. Is there a desire to want to return to some native varieties of avocado, both for preservation of culture but also preservation of those varieties and not least of which, preservation of land and environment. As I know, a lot of land is um being deforcedd to to plant avocado trees. So is there a return to or promotion of indigenous varieties. I think from

the farmers themselves you would get different answers. Definitely, there's a respect for the avocados that they have grown up with, that their family has, you know, specific recipes for that they know taste better than the hosta does. There is a major concern regarding um climate change. There are a lot of forest fires in Mexico this year which really impacted the presence of pollinators with the smoke. Mexico City had a you know, a climate and a climate emergency

because of it. So there's definitely the desire to keep those avocados because they are beneficial two all crops, I mean, having the biodiversity, having that, having that diversity and not

just a monoculture is really beneficial. I I think probably what you would see what I see more of um as Mexico City and Wahaca another city to mention, become more popular with international tourists and as the Mexican middle class and upper class kind of lower upper class I should say, kind of expand there's a desire to get in touch with that. And you'll find, you know, if you go to, yeah, a restaurant in in Wahaca or Mexico City that kind of prides itself on being like

ancestral cuisine. You're not going to see hot sa avocados, no way. And maybe they're in there somewhere, you know, but they that's not going to be on the menu. So there's definitely an interest in the preservation. Whether that will extend outside of Mexico for you know, again talking about like transportation, you know, logistics and that reality behind that that's yet to be seen. I think but a lot of things that can be grown in Mexico can

also be grown in parts of the United States. Um so it would be really interesting, you know, to see if that, if if that interest in different types of varieties of avocados extend into the United States. It's possible, but it's it's not that common, you know. We have to remember Mexico is a very diverse country in terms of rural versus urban and in terms of the different groups of people who live there and and have called at home for millennia. Species the Persa genus has several species.

All the species are American and in fact fundamentally Mesoamerican. The avocado boom means eleven billion pounds are consumed annually worldwide. The fact that so much money is involved in the exportation of avocados has led to a number of documented perils in Mexican society. Among them, drug traffickers have taken over avocado farms, extorted farmers, kidnapping and in some cases

even murdering them. Forest in Mexico have been upended to plant avocado trees, and a disproportionately large demand for avocados is creating a climate change effect. Forest lands with diverse wildlife have been destroyed to produce avocados, and many more were intentionally burned to buy pass of Mexican law allowing producers to change the land use permit to commercial agriculture instead of forest land if it were lost to burning.

This is all a lot to absorb. I mean, we love avocados, but learning about the history and the contemporary challenges can be a little bit disorienting. Our diets demand for those who are able, that we make choices that center not only our desires but also our obligations. Are there avocados near you can weakly indulgences become quarterly or even annual ones, or for that matter, is a daily indulgence,

even an indulgence at all. Increasingly it is evident that our governments cannot be trusted to protect the best interests of anything other than the highest bid. Climate, labor and cleptocracy are unhappily coexisting, and like many areas of our life, of individuals will have to occupy the space of government. Provenance must be part of our politics, and sometimes so

to restraint. I'd like to thank our guest today, Megan Fry Alfredo Gutierrez Martinez, lev Orlando Hard Doom, Barboria Salo Azores Mendoza and the entire community of farmers and Morelos. You can read Megan Fry's story and volume six of wet Stone, or learn more on Instagram at wet Stone Magazine. We'll be back next week. We'd also like to thank our incredible podcast producer Selene Glazier. Selene, you are the best. To our editor and wet Stone partner and director of

video David Alexander in London, appreciate you, Dave. Thanks to our wet Stone production intern Quentin le Beau, and last but not least, my business partner Mel she who makes all things at Whetstone possible. Thank you Mel. We'd also like to thank our partners and production at I Heart Radio to Gabrielle Collins, our supervising producer and executive producer Christopher Haciotis. We'll be back next week with more from

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