Michoacan's avocado industry, known for its lucrative market, faces a paradox that goes beyond agriculture and into the shadows of organized crime. "Violent and Thriving: The Avocado Boom in Mexico and Its Relationship to Organized Crime," a recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, highlights the complex relationship between the expansion of this industry and criminal activities. This detailed analysis provides figures and data while recounting the human experiences behind this phenomenon.
Michoacan, the avocado capital of the world, has been involved in a situation where the growing demand from international markets such as the United States and the European Union has driven an unprecedented industrial expansion. This boom, however, has been accompanied by serious environmental problems such as deforestation and biodiversity loss, and an alarming increase in violence and insecurity fuelled by organized crime. These issues are not merely by-products of a free market system, but indicators of a deeper social and environmental crisis that demands a multidimensional response.
The report criticizes how free trade agreements have prioritized economic expansion over critical aspects such as sustainable production, human rights, and environmental protection. It stresses the need to incorporate these essential elements into future trade agreements. Avocado represents prosperity for some, for others, it is a source of despair and fear.
The proposed solution does not involve abandoning the industry, but transforming it towards fairer and more sustainable practices. Adopting a comprehensive approach that considers human rights, environmental protection, and the fight against organized crime as pillars of agribusiness and foreign trade policy is imperative. To date, Mexico's federal and state governments have failed to eradicate the influence of organized crime in this industry, and in some cases, appear to have colluded with criminals.
Mexico's avocado industry is at a critical turning point. It's time for the country's future leaders to define their position: allowing the industry to continue its current trajectory marked by violence and exploitation, or redirect it towards a path where economic development and sustainability coexist. The decision will determine the future of Michoacán and the face that Mexico wishes to project to the world.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx / insightcrime.org
