Michoacán, Mexico, the world's avocado capital, produced 80% of US avocados in 2022,
sustaining over 300,000 jobs and generating billions in profits, earning its "green gold"
reputation. However, this prosperity has drawn cartels, resulting in land seizures, extortion,
and violence. Additionally, rapid expansion has caused deforestation, erosion, and water
pollution, worsening water scarcity and contributing to the formation of hydrosocial
territories. This thesis investigates the political ecology of Mexico's thriving avocado
agribusiness, examining socio-ecological impacts and power dynamics using an
autoethnographic lens. By studying diverse stakeholders' experiences across Michoacán, the
research assesses the industry's historical development, environmental consequences, cartel
involvement, state policies, and community responses.
The thesis introduces the "production frontier" concept, highlighting avocado
production's expansion from western to eastern Michoacán, characterized by organized crime
groups' territorial presence. Two case studies, Villa Madero and Cherán, demonstrate social
tensions, power dynamics, and violence arising from the avocado trade and cartel involvement.
Villa Madero, a forest community, is caught amidst competing factions, while Cherán, an
indigenous P'urhépecha community, has successfully expelled agro-capitalist cartels and
recovered its forests through community organizing. These contrasting cases offer invaluable
insights into the wider implications of the avocado industry, underscoring the urgency for
comprehensive, democratic, and pluralistic agrarian policies that champion small-scale
farmers, environmental preservation, and sustainable development, particularly in light of
escalating violence against environmentalists in Mexico.
Juarez-Serna, I. M. "Green Gold: The Political Ecology of the Avocado Agribusiness in Mexico". Undergraduate Thesis, Middlebury College, 2023.
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