There has been a real hype about avocados for years. And not without good reason: these exotic fruits are full of vitamins and valuable nutrients that are good for us. They also provide us with good fats. But as healthy as they are, their cultivation and long delivery routes are all the more harmful to the environment. Find here 5 reasons why you shouldn´t buy avocados.

Are Avocados Bad for the Environment?

As healthy as the exotic fruit is for us, its cultivation and long delivery routes are all the more harmful to the environment. For avocados to grow and thrive, they need two things above all: Heat and water. The avocado originally came from Mexico, but today, avocados are also grown in other tropical and subtropical countries. In addition to the main growing area (Mexico), countries such as South Africa, Chile, Spain, Brazil, etc. are among the growing areas.

Very High Water Consumption

The avocado plant is very, very “thirsty”. To grow 1 kg of avocados (approximately three fruits), an average of over 1000 liters of water is required. In comparison, growing 1 kg of tomatoes “only” requires around 150 to 180 liters of water.

Strong Pesticides are being used

Avocados not only need a huge amount of water to grow. The pesticides used to spray the fruit also pollute the surrounding population’s drinking water.

Very Long Transportation Routes

As mentioned above, avocados need warmth. As we do not have this warm climate in Central Europe, the avocados must be delivered from the tropical regions where they are grown. It is not only the long journey from Central and South America that releases an incredible amount of carbon dioxide. For the fruit to arrive fresh in our supermarkets, it has to be cooled during import, increasing the carbon footprint.

Illegal Deforestation to Grow Avocados

To meet the high international demand for avocados, space has to be created in the countries where they are grown. As the avocado trade is very lucrative, criminals exploit this by illegally cutting down forests. However, legal deforestation to make room for avocado plantations also covers 1,500 and 4,000 hectares yearly.

Organized Crime in the Avocado Trade

The avocado trade is now so lucrative that the fruit is also known as “green gold.” Organized criminal gangs steal the famous fruit from plantations to sell it on. In addition, locals are deprived of access to drinking water because the water is used for cultivation.

Planting and Growing Avocados Yourself

If you don’t want to miss out on avocado enjoyment but don’t want to contribute to the negative environmental balance, you can try growing avocados. There are various methods to germinate an avocado. Sprouting, growing, and cultivating with an avocado kit is very easy.

If you are interested in other health-related topics, why don´t you look at the other blog posts?