We often buy food from supermarkets that seem completely healthy and completely harmless to the environment. However, sometimes one product may be good for health but bad for the planet. A paradigmatic example of this contradiction is avocado, The tropical fruit, which already has its roots in Spain, was completely unknown in our country not so long ago.
Avocado is already a staple in most pantries. Contains plenty of vitamin E and omega 3This makes this product an ideal complement to almost any diet. So it’s no surprise that its consumption is growing rapidly not only in Spain but also across Europe, where sales are rising by 15% annually, according to the latest figures from the industry.
A sponge plant where water is scarce
Now avocado presents a problem: This is a tree that consume water plenty of. It is a true sponge, requiring huge amounts of this scarce resource to grow and bear fruit. And the problem is that water is becoming scarce in Spain. One of the places where avocados are grown in our country In Malaga, especially in Auxarquia, 10,000 hectares are devoted to this fruit and mango, although usually a province suffering from drought. This is not the only case, because there are many examples of crops with high water needs grown in an almost desert environment in Spain.
Consumption usually 1,200 liters of water per square meter per yearAccording to the aguacastur portal, although these amounts vary depending on the type of avocado, the climate of the place and its type. In any case, this is a huge amount of water. Another specialized portal, Huertolia, points out that an avocado may need about 500-600 liters of water during the week in the first year of its life. In the second phase of growth, which covers the second and third years, the amount of water needed increases approximately. 800-900 liters per week.
Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that countries such as Morocco eliminated subsidies for avocado crops at the beginning of this decade due to the high impact on water resources, given the severe drought ravaging the neighboring country.
Double the CO2 in bananas
But the problem is not just water. Avocados create a large carbon footprint, meaning they emit a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.. As are? Mainly through the shipping required to bring large quantities of this fruit from abroad to Spain.
Although it is grown in Spain as well as in Malaga, the fact is that every year our country imports large quantities of this product from American countries and also from Europe.
According to ASAJA figures, In 2021, Spain imported 207,000 tonnes of avocados, mainly from Mexico, Peru and the Netherlands. By then the increase was already 300% compared to the previous five years.
This represents growth traffic of cargo ships and large trucks Along the Atlantic Ocean and European highways, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions result.
There are studies measuring the emissions produced by avocados. A research made public by the Carbon Footprint organization shows that the carbon footprint Just two avocados weigh twice as much as one pound of bananas. Two avocados produce 846.3 grams of CO2 throughout the entire process of growing, storing and, above all, transportation. On the other hand, 480 grams are obtained from one kilo of bananas. Considering that this last fruit comes from the Canary Islands and had to be transported by boat to the Peninsula and the rest of Europe, it is clear that there are still fruits with a lower carbon footprint (those grown close to the lowest carbon footprint point). consumption).
The negative consequences for the environment do not end there. This has been necessary in many places of cultivation in Latin America. clearing large areas of forest to create new cropsThis is generally due to increased demand in Europe.
In short, not all the fruits we buy from the market have the same impact on the environment, so it is best to always buy, as experts recommend. Local, seasonal and regional products from our country and hence with less pronounced water demand.
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