Blog posted by Leila Kandil
Avocados here.. Avocados there… Avocados EVERYWHERE:
Physically and virtually avocados went from being a practically unknown fruit known as “alligator pear” to a worldwide sensation. Moreover, how did that worldwide sensation make the farmers and government officials in the country, Chile, feel the need to prioritize the production of avocados over their own basic needs? One example is having their water access immediately directed to water avocado fields rather than to citizens homes. One word. Advertisement. The smooth, ripe, creamy, lush green gold was depicted during the low-fat diet trend in the twentieth century as a superfood! Rich with all kinds of nutrients your body never knew it needed! A luxury found everywhere, all year long! That can also be used in whatever your heart desires whether it be a fashion statement in your home or as an ingredient in any of your favorite foods. Honestly, when I was younger during the phase of trying new foods to expand my taste palate, I had given avocado a try to see why everyone around me loved avocados, and didn’t end up liking it, as I felt that they were mushy and didn’t taste like anything, leading me to never trying it again to this day. However, after seeing how avocados are easy to use and has a lot of varieties, I can see why people cannot get enough. So much so that the dark truth of its sustainability and deaths caused by the green gold are being swept under a rug.
An avocado advertisement taken from flicker.
The rise and “spread” of avocados:
Although, avocados have been reintroduced recently, the ancient Aztecs discovered avocados all the way back in 500 BC, making its cultivation as old as the invention of the wheel! In more detail, the Aztecs were an indigenous civilization in mesoamerica (Mexico and central America), where avocados were important among them. The reason of its importance was because of a myth that indicated whoever ate avocados would be filled with strength and love, due to all of the nutrients it contained. Aztecs also began the spread of avocados, when it was first introduced to Spanish explorers who then sold the avocados to the Europeans and other countries. However, the rise and spread of avocados really began when a new variant called Hass avocados overtook the avocado industry by a storm in the late 1920s. The reason that Hass avocados became so popular, was because compared to the well known avocado before called Fuerte, it was creamer, had longer growing seasons, was smaller in size making consumers finish it quicker before it had the time to spoil, and since it had thicker skin it survived shipment better, with double the amount of avocados in same sized shipping boxes due to its small size. However, during the 1970s and 1980s when people loved exercising and healthy foods, avocados were viewed as too creamy and possibly unhealthy. So, the industry then focused on the creation of California avocado commission, that took a percentage of every farmers income to protect avocados public image through a lot of advertisement vocalizing the nutrients within it, which worked, and made avocados an obsession and a star. Later, the creation of NAFTA agreement in 1993 between US, Canada, and Mexico allowed the opening of boarders between Mexico and the US in terms of being able to trade, leading to a new surge of avocados from Michoacán. They had the perfect conditions for growing avocados on hillsides by having humid climate, since the cooler climates would flow down the hillsides and away from the avocados. Michoacán is also an isolated place so the avocados would be disease-free, and not spread any viruses around the world.
The violent side to avocados:
I know. How could avocados and violence be placed in the same sentence. The constant cycle of avocado consumption increasing each year increased the amount of organized crimes in Mexico. Organized crimes had been present before, but the crimes at first were mainly focused on exporting drugs. Then, they became more focused on not only producing and exporting drugs but squeezing as much money as they could from locally available sources, which in this case were the avocados within them. Since many gangs started to realize the armed camps surrounding avocado farms to protect the avocados themselves, making them precious and wanted. Making a lot of different gangs pop up throughout time in Mexico, under the willingness of the authorities and government. As a result, gangs started by extorting, killing, and kidnapping big farmworkers or their relatives to take some money from the market, to wanting control over the avocado market itself by making farmers give a percentage to the organized crimes for every kilo of avocados being exported. And they were successful, even though they created a lot of chaos and made people frightened, in 2009 the Mexican government estimated that gangs were able to make $150 million a year out of the avocado business.
The average amount of avocado exports in different countries over a long period of time. From USDA.
Although avocados are green on the outside, are they green for the environment?
Did you know that it takes at least 18 gallons of water to produce a single avocado? As a result, the water that would be used in populated areas for basic individual needs such as washing, cleaning, and drinking, rely heavily on water delivery trucks that barely provide enough water to be able in doing so. Instead, in Chile, they use their only source of water, as instructed by the authorities and redirect it towards the avocado fields to ensure its growth. For example, 220,000 metric tons of avocados are produced each year alone in Chile, pumping thousands of liters of water per second. That big increase in water consumption makes avocado farming a major factor of the drought that Chile has been facing for years. Another reason that avocados are not sustainable for the environment is due to the increasing and uncontrollable deforestation that took place when normal civilians, who were not farmers, realized that it would be a good investment to make space for avocado farms, resulting in many trees being taken down in the process, and leading to a lot of water shortage. The rise of producing avocados were a definite success in making easy money, especially when the popularity of avocados in the US was at its peak. However, if the producers were not able to pay for the water in their avocado fields, then they wouldn’t be able to produce anything.
Guacamole: A classic Mexican dish
Guacamole has been loved by millions around the world, and is used as an ingredient in a multitude of dishes not only with chips at a super bowl but as a simple snack and way of gaining nutrients in a healthy diet, such as quickly and easily spreading it on a piece of bread. Here is a recipe for guacamole:
Ingredients:
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Steps:
- In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat.
-
Guacamole in a bowl taken by Elise Bauer.
Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated.
- Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash.
- Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.
- Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.
Citations:
Bauer, E. (2022, April 24) How to Make the Best Guacamole. Simply Recipes. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_guacamole/
Beittel, J. S. B. (2015, July 22). Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations. Congressional Research Service, 7–5700. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/39641027/R41576-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1664602655&Signature=Dn-VDWA2NDwuhpYxlMTlcU-C7OucAI5CI0V3zeTvDFfZ0Kae67r~FA8f~y7TvyWSZJBhcV0iAV3hCFZ2p4mlxK6RXoOR9n-XJPEn7FJjJIjZNWRX31ceM9QsDr-dDvH0VgPasq-YJtBv8FQv1F8uAqW8TiHiWNscLvaslpqZrE7x-fNyBgKyH3qTF86vUWtXnTkwfOjb4NCFF-Bmhh7f6abbOQ5mn7vtGEE3gdItYeFKiV5~iPBUA5YL0hRGQs4Sqy0djrm5wZRKJUmLvfpDWHR~2dafrY~mAXAtHZHno0aDBN~8l62L4WBZt8xWrJo3Ggu4R3u6MiOMxuzHxfmtcg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
Bellamore, T. B. (2002). Mexican avocados: history the full story. California avocado commission, 86: 51-71. http://avocadosource.com/CAS_Yearbooks/CAS_86_2002/CAS_2002_PG_051-071.pdf
Khazan, O. (2015, June 13). The Selling of the Avocado. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/the-selling-of-the-avocado/385047/
Newsome, L. (2022, September 30). Avocado creep is the reason why america is the greatest country in the world. (2018, July 6). from https://www.neboagency.com/blog/avocado-creep-is-the-reason-why-america-is-the-greatest-country-in-the-world/
Perez, A., & Ferreira, G. (2018, March 29). Fruit and tree nuts outlook. USDA,FTS-366,33. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/outlooks/88197/fts-366.pdf?v=8596
Ritz, T. A. (2019, August 27). The Aztecs: a history ripe with avocados. https://www.avoseedo.com/the-aztecs-a-history-ripe-with-avocados/
Rozeboom, G. (2021, May 5). Rotten: The Avocado War produced by Netflix – Plant Based. https://www.plantbased.com/rotten-the-avocado-war/
Tibisay, Z. (2022, June 20). Chileans have long struggled with a water crisis. The World; PRX. https://theworld.org/stories/2022-06-20/chileans-have-long-struggled-water-crisis-management-practices-are-partly-blame