Organic & Fairtrade Avocadoes: Ecology, P’urhepecha Indians, Poverty & Monarchs
Michoacán, Mexico is the largest producer of avocadoes in the world and one of the first regions in the world to produce organic and organic fair-trade avocadoes. The production of avocadoes is the most important trade in Michoacán, and the Uruapan area, in which our FAIRTRASA label organic & organic fair-trade avocadoes are from. Uruapan is not only the center point of the avocado industry in the region but it is also the home of the P'urhépecha Indians as well as the winter retreat for the monarch butterfly. Michoacán with its rich volcanic soils and a elevation of 1600 meters above sea level create the perfect environment for growing avocados. The majority of avocado growers in the region are small family farmers that typically sell their fruit to middle men. Avocadoes represent a better source of income than the typical traditional crops, and the poverty that effects many in the region has moved more and more families as well as large corporate farmers into farming avocadoes in the region. The result has been a massive deforestation in the region. Deforestation is effecting not only the land and the people but the creatures living in the habitat, including the monarch butterfly who is losing its winter habitat and taking massive hits on its overall population due to this deforestation and incredibly large amounts of pesticide drifts. Organic avocado farming in the area gives the region a better chance for long term success. It’s another small story of how organic farming makes a large impact on the lives & habitats of humans and creatures!
SUPPORT ORGANIC AND ORGANIC FAIRTRADE MEXICAN AVOCADOES-Support the P'urhépecha Indians, the monarch butterfly, the mountains of Uruapan and the overall economic possibilities of the future of the region!
CLICK HERE FOR THIS MONTHS AVOCADO FEATURE IN LIVING WELL MAGAZINE