The Devil Avocado!
We know avocado is a unique type of fruit. Numerous studies show that it has powerful beneficial effects on health: Incredibly nutritious, contains more potassium than bananas, is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, eating avocados can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, good for your skin…
Avocado is also very popular and trendy, more and more restaurants are dedicated to them. As the Avocaderia in Brooklyn, USA & The Avocado Show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Consequently, the consumption has risen considerably in the last decade.
Mexico was the first world avocado producer. Its mass production turned into a nightmare for the population: Cartel extortions, avocado workers assassinated, deforestation, illness due to use of pesticides ...
In Michoacan’s state, over the last 30 years, total avocado plantations has tripled. More than 150 000 hectares of forestation is deforested each year to cultivate this fruit who is a huge moneymaker. The drug cartels invest in this activity as it is more profitable than opium or marijuana.
Extortions, assassinations, burglary of plantations…etc. The inhabitants are living a veritable inferno and have to defend themselves with guns to protect their fields against drug traffickers. Forbidden pesticides are often used causing serious illness, congenital malformations, especially on the children living around the plantation.
I want to share with you this exceptional report by Virginie Vilar from Envoye special about one of the most dangerous regions of the world, cursed by the famous avocado. Click on the video. Unfortunately, it is only in French
I found a short video in Spanish that translates the most important part of this report:
Click on the link.
And a few articles in English. Unfortunately, these are related more about the cartels, than the deforestation or the pesticides.
- avocado-police-tancitaro-mexico-law-drug-cartels
- mexican-cartels-extorting-avocado-producers-raises-price-guacamole-report-says