Americans Love Avocados. It’s Killing Mexico’s Forests.

Deforestation in western Mexico is being rapidly driven by US demand for avocados. Criminal gangs, landowners, local officials, and community leaders are reportedly involved in illegal forest clearing for avocado orchards, contributing to loss of forests, depletion of aquifers, and increasing violence. US imports of Mexican avocados have tripled over the last two decades, while the $2.7 billion annual avocado trade between the two countries has led environmental officials to question their 2021 commitment to “halt and reverse” deforestation by 2030. A new report also suggests that American food distributors are profiting off avocados grown in deforested lands.

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