Don’t let anyone tell you different. Texans love their guacamole. Recipes are touted as the “best guacamole in Texas.” The quality of Mexican restaurants are judged on the basis of their guacamole. Even though the 78th Legislature in 2003 declared tortilla chips and salsa to be the state snack, guacamole reigns supreme in many dining circles. Of course, guacamole is not a Lone Star State creation, but I imagine that Texas would love to lay claim to it.
Guacamole traces its roots to the Aztecs, who inhabited a region in South Central Mexico from around 1300 to 1521. They mashed up avocados and spices into a mixture called āhuacamolli, literally “avocado sauce” in Nahuatl, the language used by the Aztecs. (The avocado itself, though, has quite a long history, going back to the Cenozoic era, where it was fodder for prehistoric creatures.) The ahuacatl or alligator pear, as the avocado was commonly called, caught the attention of Spaniards in the 16th century, who then brought these fruits back to Europe. Avocados first made their appearance in the United States in the mid-19th century. Farmers in California in the 1900s changed the name, believing that neither of the names, ahuacatl or alligator pear, were palatable for North American tastes. (Ahuacatl, incidentally, means “testicle” in Nahuatl, so the change was probably for the best.)
Whether it was the name change or the buttery texture of the fruit, avocado consumption in the United States has continued to increase steadily in the past two decades. According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “[p]er capita consumption of avocados has tripled since 2001 to 8 pounds per person in 2018.” California is the largest producer in the United States while Mexico is the largest importer with about 89% of the market share.
Unfortunately, this cool and creamy fruit and the delicious dip for which it is the main ingredient have a darker side, thanks to the drug cartels that are extorting avocado farmers in Mexico. Recognizing the value of this simple crop and the multi-billion dollar industry of which it is part, drug cartels first dipped their hand into the trade by offering protection to the farmers, asking for the payment of a tax in return. Services ceased, but money was still demanded. Some of the methods used by the cartels to gain control of land rife with avocado trees and the income derived from its production include informal “ownership,” monthly protection payments, and stolen produce. Failure to comply with demands, moreover, could result in kidnapping, torture, and even death, thus setting up a bloody battle between growers and the cartels. This violence has prompted many restaurant owners and consumers to boycott these so-called “blood avocados,” an approach not espoused by all because of the negative effect it will have on the workers who rely upon avocado production to put food on their tables and roofs over their heads. Boycotts, the argument goes, punish the victim, not the extorter.
Mexico is not the only nation in which its avocado crops attract criminals. For the past four years, avocados in New Zealand have fallen victim to thievery. One grower reportedly had about 70% of his orchard stolen. It is of such concern that the New Zealand avocado industry has issued recommendations and guidance to both growers and consumers to protect fruit from theft and to recognize fruit that had been stolen.
All of the criminal activity surrounding the avocado-growing industry coupled with consumer demand for the tasty, yet healthy superfood have caused avocado prices to skyrocket. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this growing problem, but it certainly gives us guacamole lovers food for thought.
