Supermarket shoppers are being alerted to a potential avocado shortage as climate change threatens to disrupt the supply of the trendy superfood. Key producers like Spain, South Africa, Peru, Chile, and Mexico are facing erratic weather patterns that are hampering avocado yields.
The fruit is particularly thirsty, requiring about 320 litres of water to produce just one avocado – that’s four times more than what’s needed for a kilo of oranges. As temperatures rise and conditions grow drier, avocado growth is stunted, leading to reduced productivity.
A stark report warns that by 2050, avocado growing regions could shrink by up to 41%, with Mexico, the globe’s top avocado supplier, potentially losing up to 43% of its cultivation area if temperatures continue to climb towards a 5% global average increase. Avocado farming already places immense stress on water supplies in arid areas like Mexico, and worsening climate conditions could further impact production, reports the Express.
SaveMoneyCutCarbon has highlighted the dilemma, stating: “Our demand for avocado can be a benefit for the economies of the producer countries and the people who work in the sector but the rapid growth of the market also puts greater strain on the local ecologies, not least the increased pressure on water resources and on forest land.”
“In the past decade, we have all been waking up to the fact that water is a precious and finite resource that we need to manage very carefully. Being aware of the water consumption footprint of the things we eat is one way to make good choices that help the planet in balance with sound economic management.”
Shoppers have also been warned about the hefty carbon footprint associated with purchasing avocados from supermarkets. The Sustainable Food Trust has highlighted: “Carbon Footprint Ltd estimates that two small avocados in a packet has a CO2 footprint of 846.36 grams (almost twice the amount of a kilo of bananas).”
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They further explain the environmental toll of avocado production: “Due to the production of avocados in Central and South America, the fruit travels long distances in order to reach consumers in the Global North. A Mexican avocado would have to travel 5555 miles to reach the UK.
“Given the distances, fruit is picked before it’s ripe and shipped in temperature-controlled storage, which is energy intensive. The UK’s imports of avocados contain over 25 million cubic metres annually of virtual water – equivalent to 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.”
Shoppers buying avocados in supermarkets are being warned about a future shortage
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This has dire consequences for local communities: “With global temperatures rising and water becoming scarce, this has serious impacts on local communities who do not have access to drinking water. This means that despite bold claims that avocados are a clean and sustainable superfood, the reality is that avocados have serious environmental consequences.”
Zac Bard, chairman of the World Avocado Organisation, has hit back at the negative press surrounding avocados’ environmental impact, highlighting that most UK-consumed avocados are shipped by sea, not air. He emphasised that water usage for avocado cultivation is lower in wetter regions and is significantly less than that required for products like chocolate or coffee.
He said: “Avocados have, unfortunately, been subject to negative press regarding their environmental impact, including unfounded claims often fueled by unrepresentative or little evidence.
“To put things into perspective, one kilo of avocados needs an average of around 800 litres of water, but this can be much lower in wetter regions, where avocado trees can depend heavily on rainfall water. This is considerably less than what is needed for other household staples such as beef, coffee, and chocolate, which can be much greater.”