THE FASHIONABLE FRUIT THAT PAYS FOR ASSASSINS

The death of environmental activist Homero Gómez González was not an accident— prosecutors say he suffered “head trauma” before he was “asphyxiated by drowning.” Gómez González managed part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site intended to protect the beautiful insects. In that job he found himself in conflict with illegal loggers and the avocado farms that threaten the butterflies’ habitat. And his murder is not an isolated incdident: One month later his colleague Raúl Hernández died a suspicious death. The problems associated with avocados are spreading: In less than 20 years, consumption of avocados in North America has more than tripled, and the majority of the avocados that the U.S. imports are grown in the Mexican state of Michoacán. There the drug cartels have entered this lucrative business—with violent consequences. However violence is not the only problem related to the growing demand. On average it takes 34 gallons of water to produce a pound of avocados, and once they are harvested, they’re transported in refrigerated trucks as far as 3,000 miles to reach Boston or Seattle. There are also the negative effects of the agrochemicals used to fertilize the plants and keep bugs at bay. Moreover, promoting a monoculture of avocados also reduces genetic biodiversity and limits production of other food. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: avocados labeled “Fairtrade.” The standard is designed to improve employment conditions and protect workers’ rights by providing extra money that employers and workers use for benefits such as education and healthcare. “Not buying avocados because farmers are suffering mafia extortion punishes the victims even more,” cautions Professor Rodrigo Canales of the Yale School of Management.