Research Paper
Political Ecologies: Nature, Humans and Non-Humans (202200003)
Name: Pim
Student ID number: …
E-mailadres: …
Date: May 14th, 2024
Tutor: …
Wordcount: 3093
Page numbers: 14
Pagina 1 van de 14
,Abstract
The focus of this paper will be on harvesting “Green Gold” in Michoacan State, Mexico, the
global center of avocado production. Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of avocados and
exports most of it to the United States and Europe. The globalization of food sales and
consumption has driven the growth of the avocado industry to unprecedented heights. This
has resulted in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic impacts on local communities.
In addition to bringing some economic benefits, such as increased employment and reduced
poverty, this is also accompanied by negative environmental and socio-economic impacts
within the main production. Issues such as deforestation, water conflicts, and soil
degradation, within the local regions where avocados are grown, can all be linked to an
expanding avocado industry. The avocado business has become so lucrative over the last
decade that more and more people want to be involved in this industry. This has also attracted
the attention of big agribusinesses who want to make the most of this market, despite its
substantial ecological consequences for the local ecology, environment, and culture. The
relentless demand for avocados, also considered a “healthy super food”, still continues to
grow, leaving multiple issues at hand. This study aims to shed light on these complex
dynamics surrounding avocado production, exploring the difficult balance between economic
prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility in the context of food
globalization.
KEYWORDS
Avocado industry, Michoacan State, Capitalocene, environmental impact, globalization
Pagina 2 van de 14
, Harvesting ‘Green Gold’ in Michoacan State, Mexico:
Environmental and socio-economic consequences linked to the Capitalocene
With an ever-increasing globalizing world, exotic foods are crossing country borders with
rapid speed and in large numbers (Chen et al. 2023). One of the fastest-growing markets in
the world, but especially in North America and Europe, is the avocado industry (Sommaruga
& Eldridge 2020). Avocados are primarily consumed as fresh fruits, but in recent years, there
has been an increasing interest in industrial processing to also extract the oil or produce
guacamole and sauces (Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2022). As this industry of avocado
production continues to expand and generate increasing amounts of money, it has become a
highly lucrative business over the past decade, attracting more and more people to get
involved. This has positively affected the socio-economic conditions of local communities by
increasing employment opportunities and raising wages (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020).
Nevertheless, the economic benefits of the expanding avocado industry can not outweigh the
negative impacts of this growing industry on the natural environment and local ecology
within some of the main production areas (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020). Deforestation,
water conflicts, and soil degradation, are all examples of the serious consequences of the
relentlessly growing industry of avocado farming (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020). Mexico is
widely perceived as the leading exporter of avocados (Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2022).
Consequently, this study will examine the ecological, environmental, and social-economic
impacts of the avocado industry on the local region of Michoacan State, Mexico, the global
center of avocado production (Denvir et al. 2021). Engaging with these issues has led me to
question how countries like the Netherlands are able to massively buy and consume exotic
fruits such as avocados. Is this practice even ethical? By investigating the consequences
pointed out above, this study aims to understand how increased avocado consumption
Pagina 3 van de 14
Political Ecologies: Nature, Humans and Non-Humans (202200003)
Name: Pim
Student ID number: …
E-mailadres: …
Date: May 14th, 2024
Tutor: …
Wordcount: 3093
Page numbers: 14
Pagina 1 van de 14
,Abstract
The focus of this paper will be on harvesting “Green Gold” in Michoacan State, Mexico, the
global center of avocado production. Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of avocados and
exports most of it to the United States and Europe. The globalization of food sales and
consumption has driven the growth of the avocado industry to unprecedented heights. This
has resulted in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic impacts on local communities.
In addition to bringing some economic benefits, such as increased employment and reduced
poverty, this is also accompanied by negative environmental and socio-economic impacts
within the main production. Issues such as deforestation, water conflicts, and soil
degradation, within the local regions where avocados are grown, can all be linked to an
expanding avocado industry. The avocado business has become so lucrative over the last
decade that more and more people want to be involved in this industry. This has also attracted
the attention of big agribusinesses who want to make the most of this market, despite its
substantial ecological consequences for the local ecology, environment, and culture. The
relentless demand for avocados, also considered a “healthy super food”, still continues to
grow, leaving multiple issues at hand. This study aims to shed light on these complex
dynamics surrounding avocado production, exploring the difficult balance between economic
prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility in the context of food
globalization.
KEYWORDS
Avocado industry, Michoacan State, Capitalocene, environmental impact, globalization
Pagina 2 van de 14
, Harvesting ‘Green Gold’ in Michoacan State, Mexico:
Environmental and socio-economic consequences linked to the Capitalocene
With an ever-increasing globalizing world, exotic foods are crossing country borders with
rapid speed and in large numbers (Chen et al. 2023). One of the fastest-growing markets in
the world, but especially in North America and Europe, is the avocado industry (Sommaruga
& Eldridge 2020). Avocados are primarily consumed as fresh fruits, but in recent years, there
has been an increasing interest in industrial processing to also extract the oil or produce
guacamole and sauces (Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2022). As this industry of avocado
production continues to expand and generate increasing amounts of money, it has become a
highly lucrative business over the past decade, attracting more and more people to get
involved. This has positively affected the socio-economic conditions of local communities by
increasing employment opportunities and raising wages (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020).
Nevertheless, the economic benefits of the expanding avocado industry can not outweigh the
negative impacts of this growing industry on the natural environment and local ecology
within some of the main production areas (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020). Deforestation,
water conflicts, and soil degradation, are all examples of the serious consequences of the
relentlessly growing industry of avocado farming (Sommaruga & Eldridge 2020). Mexico is
widely perceived as the leading exporter of avocados (Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2022).
Consequently, this study will examine the ecological, environmental, and social-economic
impacts of the avocado industry on the local region of Michoacan State, Mexico, the global
center of avocado production (Denvir et al. 2021). Engaging with these issues has led me to
question how countries like the Netherlands are able to massively buy and consume exotic
fruits such as avocados. Is this practice even ethical? By investigating the consequences
pointed out above, this study aims to understand how increased avocado consumption
Pagina 3 van de 14
