Main drivers and socio-environmental effects of the avocado boom in Mexico

In the time of globalization, the growing global food trade can have a major effect on every corner of the world. These include uncertain effects on the climate, use of land, socioeconomic concerns, and political and cultural conditions for exporting countries. In this study we performed a literature review to identify the evidence of the economic, environmental and social effects as a result of recent avocado plantation expansions in the avocado-producing area of Michoacan, Mexico. Mexico is the largest avocado producer in the world and Michoacan represents more than 80 percent of the total planted area of the country. The results show a greater wealth for producers and a small group of packinghouses due to avocado industry. There are also environmental concerns due to rapid land-cover changes and the overuse of pesticides that secrete into soils and groundwater with cascading effects for local people. Our results highlight the economic, environmental and social effects of the avocado industry; however, many gaps remain in our understanding. In this study we identified gaps in the current research and present some directions for future research.