At the Taco stands in Mexico city more and more often is served “incorrect” Guacamole without Avocados. Reasons for this are many: The gigantic demand, poor Harvests, the Americans, and Mexican drug cartels.
Not just in Mexico, but also in the neighboring country of US, Guacamole is becoming more and more popular. On the day of the Super Bowl, the annual final of the American Football championship, the Americans devour the delicious Dip on the Basis of Mexican Avocados even in record-breaking quantities. Alone for this year’s spectacle in this February, 120,000 tons of the green fruit had been exported in the North attributed to the Association of avocado producers and exporeure APEAM. Twenty per cent more than in the previous year. Since 2014, it has quadrupled the amount even.
In Mexico, however, the Avocado-Hunger of the Americans ensures that there is always more Taco-go stands their with fried meat-filled Corn or wheat to serving tortillas with “false” Guacamole. Although prepared with tomatoes, chili oil, salt, garlic and cilantro and the Avocados are to be replaced by a Zucchini. As a result, the Dip hurt retains its typically green appearance, but: “it really does”, is the Internet portal Chilango, even if the cream in consistency and taste “like real” Guacamole. Recipes, as published by the food blogger Alejandra de Nava, already circulating for years.
However, the excitement that’s why can be explained by a specific circumstance: Avocados for Guacamole to use a luxury nowadays, in Mexico almost. This is due to the high price of the green increase fruit.
Bad harvest versus increased demand, plus speculators
Blame it on previous crop yields and increased demand from the USA, so avocado producer Pedro Bucio Bucio, compared to the regional sheet Diario de Coahuila were back. Supply and demand determined the price. “There’s a little bit of Avocado here in Mexico, and the shortage has caused the price increase,” he explains. At the end of June, a Kilo of Avocados cost up to 100 Pesos (more than five US dollars).
Sought-after fruit: Avocados are all the rage
Minister of agriculture, Victor Villalobos, by contrast, speculators for the rise in prices. The Numbers, however, contradict him. Thus, the production decreased in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in the prior year by 1.2 per cent – in absolute Numbers by more than 10,000 tons. At the same time, exports grew by 7.6 percent. In the past ten years have quadrupled, exports have even. Much of this demand comes from the United States, where the Avocado consumption is growing by 15 percent per year – in the Form of spreads, salads, or Smoothies. Avocados are considered to be a kind of a Superfood: they are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, potassium and Vitamin E, help to reduce cholesterol, strengthen the immune system and make in spite of many calories, not fat.
Ironically, Mexican Avocados were kept up in 1997 out of fear of pest infestation from the U.S. market. Today, four-fifths of the Avocados from Mexico go there. In the past year alone Avocados for more than 2.5 billion dollars were sold in the United States. This is earning more than the Export of Oil. Germany imported its Avocados, mainly from Peru, Chile, Spain and Israel (see info graphic).
The drug mafia with mixes also
Even the Mexican drug cartels are part of the mix now in the avocado business. In the state of Michoacán, a center for the production of synthetic drugs, and because of the geographical and climatic conditions at the same time, a “Paradise” for Avocado-farming the farmers, protection money and for “land-use need to pay rights” for the cultivation of the “green gold”. In addition, Avocado ambushed transports, so that the avocado producers have started their own security services and so-called auto-defensas, private para-military police forces to set up. In order to create cropland, have increased illegal deforestation. Also Avocados need lots of water. But that is a scarce commodity. Climate change intensifies this Problem.
Brand new the price problem is not. Two years ago, poor Harvests and the large international demand had – in addition to the classic customers of USA, Canada and EU, the avocado consumption also rose in Japan and China – led to a drastic price increase. At that time Mexico even thought about to import Avocados. Because the country is not only the world’s largest exporter of Avocados, but also has the highest Per capita consumption. More than seven pounds of Avocado consumed by the average Mexican per year.
As at the end of may, U.S. President Donald Trump with punitive tariffs on all Mexican imports threatened, not Mexico push harder against migrants, warned the Mexican side in front of higher import costs for Avocados, and painted a Super Bowl without Guacamole on the wall. The punitive tariffs were averted at the last Minute, and today, many Mexican – irony of history – have to make do because of the undiminished demand from the US even with a Guacamole rip-off on your Tacos.