It’s one of the healthiest foods around, and can be used in salads, sandwiches, dips, and snacks: the avocado. Avocados are rich in potassium, heart-healthy fats, and fiber. But as good as they are for your body, the demand for them at the produce stand is taking its toll on the Earth. With an upswing in sales, there is a growing danger in avocado farming.
The bulk of grocery avocados sold in the US and Canada get their start in a region of Mexico called Michoacan. Eighty percent of the world’s avocados are sourced from Michoacan, and the growth of this industry is leading to deforestation. Each year, an additional 50,000 acres of land is converted to agricultural use, leading to a loss of 30-40 percent of forest annually. This is up from less than 2,000 acres per year a decade ago.
Despite the rise in prices of this favorable fruit, demand continues to increase. Therein lies the ecological danger in avocado farming: the public’s appetite is insatiable. The farmers are making good money and are all too willing to sacrifice the forest to increase their profit margins.
Avocados require a large amount of water during their growth cycle, putting even more stress on the local environment, and a mature orchard can use twice as much water as the natural forest. Then there is the impact on the monarch butterfly. The colorful monarch migrates to this area each year, and if the deforestation continues, it could be in danger of losing its winter home.
But not to fear — you don’t have to give up your go-to healthy snack. Avocados are also grown in California and Florida, and can even be cultivated to be grown indoors. With the right care, you could grow your very own avocados in your home and alleviate the ecological danger in avocado farming.
Featured Image from Nur Afni Setiyaningrum/Unsplash
