The Mexican state of Michoacan is a hub for avocado production, and it is doing quite well, now demand for the crop has increased. But the state has long been a hotbed for organized-crime groups as well, and they prey on legitimate businesses, like agriculture. Global demand for avocados has grown considerably in recent years, and Mexican farmers have been a major beneficiary.
According to businessinsider.nl, Mexico produces about 45% of the world’s avocados, and the western state of Michoacan is the country’s top producer. But Michoacan also has its share of organized crime, and the residents have suffered as criminal groups overwhelmed and corrupted authorities.
Vigilantes, sometimes called autodefensas, started fighting off criminals when local and federal authorities were unable or unwilling to do so.
Often, those autodefensas were dismantled by the government or co-opted by criminal groups. And criminal groups remain involved in agriculture. In mid-2017, the Michoacan state government said it had seized some 500 acres of avocado crops that were under the control of organized crime.
