7 facts about the Avocado

Contemporary superfood, environmental hazard and side gig for Mexican cartels: the avocado is many things to many people. An ancient crop that was cultivated by the Aztecs and a fixture on social media, the avocado is here to stay, even if the social media hype around it has abated somewhat. Here are seven facts about avocados that may surprise you.

400 varieties

The avocado comes from the laurel family – and is technically a berry. Its name stems from the Aztec word "ahuacatl", which means "testicle." Historically, it has been called many things, including butterfruit and alligator pear. 400 varieties are cultivated worldwide today.

10,000 years

The avocado has its origins in the warm and humid rainforests of southern Mexico, where it was planted 10,000 years ago by the Coxcatlán culture. It was first mentioned in Europe in the travelogues of the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Cieza de León.

2.4 million tons

Mexico is the leading producer, havesting 2.4 million tons annually. More than half are exported – primarily to the US. Incidentally, the "world capital of the avocado" is the town of Uruapan in the state of Michoacán.

K,D,B6,E

Once decried as fatty, avocados are now acclaimed among health gurus as a superfood: they provide vitamins K, D, B6 and E as well as folic acid, potassium and calcium. They are also rich in unsaturated fatty acids. So despite their high fat content, they are healthy.

10 bathtubs

Up to ten bathtubs – or around 2000 liters – of water are needed to produce a kilo of avocados (around four pieces), with some growing regions already complaining about water shortages. Add to that the huge distances traversed to reach consumers, and avocados are justifiably considered climate offenders – after all, only around 180 litres of water are needed to grow a kilo of tomatoes. Even so, growing avocados is still far less damaging to the environment than ranching: Producing a kilo of beef requires 15,000 liters of water.

$$$

The billion-dollar avocado business has attracted attention far beyond instagram: It didn't take long for Mexican drug cartels to get in on the action, drawn by large profit margins. They shake down farmers and transporters for protection, launder dirty money in the avocado trade and even conceal drug labs on plantations. One popular trick: To drive up prices on the world market, cartels often intimidate avocado farmers into intentionally losing their harvest.

13,390,000

The social media platform instagram currently lists over 13 million posts with the hashtag #avocado. Once again, for reference: the tomato only has a meagre two million posts.

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