Food For Thought

I heard about this on a podcast of Freakonomics. The topic was "selective outrage — why we get so upset over some things, and then not over others." It's a good episode and food for thought, as it were.

Among the stories discussed was the nefarious side to a particularly common snack dip. Should we be upset? Should we do something about it? Can we?

In the latter half of 2012 and the early part of 2013, the U.S. imported nearly $1 billion worth of avocados from this state [Michoacán]. Not surprisingly, a common nickname for the fruit is oro verde, green gold, because it yields more cash than any other crop—including marijuana. 

“Blood Avocados”: The Dark Side of Your Guacamole

That would attract the attention of a drug cartel, don't you think? What is our complicity as individuals? As a country?

It’s estimated that more than 4 out of 5 avocados sold in the U.S. are grown in the Mexican state of Michoacán, which is the only Mexican state certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to export the “green gold.” 

The Mexican Avocado Wars – It’s all about the Guac | Economics 411: Monetary and Financial Theory

Why?

Mexico produces most of the world's avocado, and avocado is one of the primary cultivars for export, the eighth cultivar by production volume. In 2013 the total area dedicated to avocado production was 168,155 hectares (415,520 acres), and the harvest was of 1,109,814 tonnes.The states that produce the most are México, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, and Michoacan which accounts for 86% of the total. In Michoacan the cultivation is complicated by the existence of drug cartels that extort protection fees from cultivators. They are reported to exact 2000 Mexican pesos per hectar from avocado farmers and an additional 1 to 3 pesos per kilo of harvested fruit.

Avocado | Wikipedia 

Why has the US certified only one state in Mexico to export avocados? Which came first: US certification or extortion by drug cartels?

Will that change your snack food?