Avocados have become a staple in diets worldwide, but apart from being a healthy snack, the booming avocado industry has expanded along with the rise of criminal organizations, according to a report published last month by the Global Initiative Against Transactional Organized Crime (GITOC).
The boom in Mexico’s avocado market, known as the “green oil,” has coincided with heightened criminal activity in avocado-growing regions, particularly the state of Michoacán, creating a boom for the popular fruit, the GITOC report explains.
Between 2012 and 2019, Mexico’s avocado exports to Europe skyrocketed from less than $11 million to a staggering $307 million. In 2022, avocados claimed the second spot as Mexico’s most valuable crop, according to Servicio de Información Agroalimentaria y Pesquera (SIAP).
