Avocado buyers warned as supermarkets brace for problem
Share:
Supermarket shoppers are being alerted to a potential avocado shortage as climate change threatens to disrupt the supply of the trendy superfood. Key producers like Spain, South Africa, Peru, Chile, and Mexico are facing erratic weather patterns that are hampering avocado yields.
The fruit is particularly thirsty, requiring about 320 litres of water to produce just one avocado – that's four times more than what's needed for a kilo of oranges. As temperatures rise and conditions grow drier, avocado growth is stunted, leading to reduced productivity.
A stark report warns that by 2050, avocado growing regions could shrink by up to 41%, with Mexico, the globe's top avocado supplier, potentially losing up to 43% of its cultivation area if temperatures continue to climb towards a 5% global average increase. Avocado farming already places immense stress on water supplies in arid areas like Mexico, and worsening climate conditions could further impact production, reports the Express.
SaveMoneyCutCarbon has highlighted the dilemma, stating: "Our demand for avocado can be a benefit for the economies of the producer countries and the people who work in the sector but the rapid growth of the market also puts greater strain on the local ecologies, not least the increased pressure on water resources and on forest land.".
"In the past decade, we have all been waking up to the fact that water is a precious and finite resource that we need to manage very carefully. Being aware of the water consumption footprint of the things we eat is one way to make good choices that help the planet in balance with sound economic management.".
