"The Hass avocado boom has driven significant change, both positive and negative, in the communities of those growing and harvesting the fruit. While the revenue created by this cash crop has led to improvement in living conditions for many, its popularity is threatening avocado's biodiversity and the business has become deeply entwined with political corruption and violent crime. We're learning about the history of the avocado farming in Morelos, Mexico, government intervention, and the farmers dedicated to the important work of preserving heirloom avocado varietals."
Listen to the iHeart radio podcast here in which Stephen Satterfield of Whetstone Magazine and dig deep into Mexico's green gold.
"On today’s episode, we talk to Megan Frye about avocados, and how their sharp increase in demand has affected the Mexican farmers at the source, in both good, and bad ways. We also discuss the dark side of the avocado trade, and how organized crime has become involved in making money off of the “green gold” and government corruption has led to severe ecological impacts." Image: Quentin LeBeau