Green Gold: The Political Ecology of the Avocado Agribusiness in Mexico

Michoacán, Mexico, the world's avocado capital, produced 80% of US avocados in 2022, sustaining over 300,000 jobs and generating billions in profits, earning its "green gold" reputation. However, this prosperity has drawn cartels, resulting in land seizures, extortion, and violence. Additionally, rapid expansion has caused deforestation, erosion, and water pollution, worsening water scarcity and contributing to the formation of hydrosocial territories. This thesis investigates the political ecology of Mexico's thriving avocado agribusiness, examining socio-ecological impacts and power dynamics using an autoethnographic lens. By studying diverse stakeholders' experiences across Michoacán, the research assesses the industry's historical development, environmental consequences, cartel involvement, state policies, and community responses.

The thesis introduces the "production frontier" concept, highlighting avocado production's expansion from western to eastern Michoacán, characterized by organized crime groups' territorial presence. Two case studies, Villa Madero and Cherán, demonstrate social tensions, power dynamics, and violence arising from the avocado trade and cartel involvement. Villa Madero, a forest community, is caught amidst competing factions, while Cherán, an indigenous P'urhépecha community, has successfully expelled agro-capitalist cartels and recovered its forests through community organizing. These contrasting cases offer invaluable insights into the wider implications of the avocado industry, underscoring the urgency for comprehensive, democratic, and pluralistic agrarian policies that champion small-scale farmers, environmental preservation, and sustainable development, particularly in light of escalating violence against environmentalists in Mexico.