DALLAS — New data from Avocados From Mexico – a U.S.-based, non-profit marketing organization to promote Mexican avocados – shows that 2021 Mexican avocado imports are on track to reach 2.4 billion pounds by July 5, which would end the fiscal year on a record-setting note. 1
The increase is the latest in a multi-decade upward trend in U.S. avocado consumption. In fact, current avocado consumption rates are more than quadruple that of 2007, when the U.S. market fully opened to Mexican imports. Even during the pandemic, in 2020 the Mexican avocado industry – which represents more than 80% of the total U.S. avocado market – exported more than 2.12 billion pounds to the U.S., up 5% from the year prior.
The Avocado Institute of Mexico
Details of Mexican avocados’ economic impact and job creation – among other benefits – are outlined in a new resource, the Avocado Institute, which shines a light on the industry behind the popular fruit. Created by the parent organizations of Avocados From Mexico, the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico (APEAM) and Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), the one-stop digital resource provides a deep dive into all facets of the Mexican avocado industry, including information on:
- The Magic of Michoacán. The conditions required for producing and harvesting avocados year-round are hard to meet, but the Mexican state of Michoacán is blessed with rich volcanic soil, natural irrigation, and a unique topography and is the only location in the world where avocados can bloom 365 days a year. Today, Michoacán is home to approximately 65 packing companies and 29,000 avocado producers, but archaeological sites in Mexico have discovered avocado remnants that are more than 10,000 years old.
- A Commitment to Sustainability. Dedicated to positive environmental practices, the Mexican avocado industry leverages natural water sources, leads reforestation initiatives, and protects the habitat for the Monarch butterfly population through our industry’s partnership with Forests for Monarchs. In fact, the sustainable strategies of the Mexican avocado industry are officially aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- An Avocado’s Journey. Annually, more than 2 billion pounds of avocados are packed, shipped, and traced from small, oftentimes family-owned farms to America. It takes less than a week for avocados from Mexico to travel from orchard to table, but rigorous guidelines are enforced through every step of the supply chain. These standards start at the orchards, where avocados are harvested with a specially designed pole directly from the tree, as avocados that have touched the ground are not approved for export.
- An Economic Win-Win. The Mexican avocado industry has positively impacted the U.S. and Mexican economies alike, providing impressive benefits to both countries.
A Thriving Industry
“We are thrilled that our parent organizations are launching the Avocado Institute to further educate people about the magic behind our beloved fruit,” said Alvaro Luque, president and CEO, Avocados From Mexico. “From family farms in Michoacán to our impressive international supply chain, the new resource is full of facts and stories about our industry and its benefits on both sides of the border.”
Fueling A Win-Win for Both Sides of the Border
An economic contribution analysis from Texas A&M University found that in the 2019-2020 season, $2.82 billion of U.S. imports of Mexican Hass avocados contributed $4 billion in value added U.S. GDP; $2.2 billion in U.S. labor income; and more than 33,000 U.S. jobs for American workers.
“Unprecedented imports of Mexican avocados have equated to significant benefits for the U.S.,” said Ron Campbell, executive director of MHAIA. “The analysis Texas A&M University conducted gives us hard data on the impact our industry has made, and will continue to make, on the economy in both countries.”
Mexico also continues to benefit from the thriving avocado industry and growing American consumption. In Michoacán, the boom in avocado exports has resulted in lower emigration, improved roads and infrastructure, a decrease in poverty and marginalization, more than 78,000 permanent jobs, and better conditions for social development.
More details of the industry’s win-win economic impact on Mexico and the U.S. – as well as additional industry facts on sustainability, quality assurance and more – can be found on AvocadoInstitute.org.
1 Source: Haas Avocado Board Volume Data and Projections
