Since February 12, 2022, no more lawyers have crossed the border. While it is from Mexico that the United States bring in three quarters of their imports.
Americans love this soft green fruit, a “superfood” full of good nutrients: they consume three times more than 20 years ago.
The Super Bowl is the day of the year when they eat the most. The TV evening in front of the National League of Football championship final is inconceivable without a mega bowl of guacamole at hand! The announcement fell 24 hours before, at the worst time.
Imports are suspended because a US official from the Department of Agriculture, who was doing a routine inspection in the state of Michoacán to verify export standards, received threatening phone calls. We don’t know exactly which ones. But the incident is attributed to a drug cartel.
But it had already happened in 2019. At the time, the American health authorities had warned: if these threats start again, if the safety of the inspectors is called into question, Washington “will immediately suspend its imports“. Threat carried out.
In Mexico the cartels sow terror among avocado producershttps://t.co/7zFdG6Vzmu pic.twitter.com/8Eh221ruXg
— franceinfo plus (@franceinfoplus) September 19, 2017
The phenomenon is not new. But it is strengthening at the same time as global demand is exploding. After beer and tequila, avocado is Mexico’s third-largest agri-food export product, which also holds the world production record. Avocado cultivation may be responsible for accelerated deforestation, but it is an activity that remains extremely lucrative. A real “green gold” which arouses the greed of organized crime.
For several years in Michoacán, more and more farmers have been forced to pay part of their income to the cartels. There are kidnappings, violence, shootings. At least nine organizations have been listed, which compete with each other to expand their territory.
The population is so fed up that in some municipalities, last June, the inhabitants themselves took up arms and created a self-defense militia, Pueblos Unidos, to monitor the plantations and the roads where their trucks loaded with avocados pass.
This Mexican state is one of the largest avocado producers in the world. After years of violence from cartels that covet their farms, these Michoacán residents created Pueblos Unidos, an armed civilian group to protect themselves. They tell. pic.twitter.com/2AsPjITkbd
— Brut FR (@brutofficiel) September 6, 2021
The American decision will impact approximately 300,000 producers and represent a very significant shortfall for the Mexican economy. The U.S. Embassy says it is working with Mexico City to “restore good security conditions“which will allow inspectors to resume their activities.
The case even made the Mexican president react. Andrès Manuel López Obrador accuses the United States of having taken this decision for commercial reasons: “There are many interests at stake, economic, political. There are other countries that want to sell their avocados […]. So they are lobbying, they are looking for senators, civil servants to put obstacles in our way.”
Facilitate the export of Mexican aguacates and guarantee the safety of our farm inspection teams. Estamos trabajando con @GobiernoMX to guarantee security conditions that allow a new personal en #Michoacan reannuar operations
— Embajada EU en Mex (@USEmbassyMEX) February 14, 2022
The reality is that the Mexican government, overwhelmed by drug traffickers, is unable to ensure the safety of producers. It is not known how long this suspension will last. But it also risks leading to a price increase, while the lawyer has already exploded the prices in recent weeks. The next time you have some on your plate, you won’t look at your avocado the same way again.