Jessica Wynn: The Hass avocado’s rise fuels cartel violence, social media’s role in avocado culture, and the economic impact on local communities | Jordan Harbinger

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Key takeaways

The Hass avocado’s ability to hang on the tree longer without spoiling has made it a global standard.
Avocado toast became a cultural phenomenon, with millions of Instagram posts daily at its peak.
Drug cartels have infiltrated the avocado trade due to its profitability.
Cartels operate like multinational corporations, exploiting weak institutions.
The shift from drug trafficking to legal crops like avocados is part of a trend called narco agriculture.
Cartels control the avocado market through violence and intimidation.
The avocado industry in Michoacán is linked to cartel violence, causing displacement and migration.
US demand for avocados fuels violence and displacement in Mexico.
The Mexican avocado market’s growth correlates with increased violence.
Violence in the avocado market is embedded in the pricing structure.
Cartels demand protection fees from farmers, impacting the supply chain.
The avocado boom has become a push factor for migration in Mexico.
The relationship between agricultural profitability and organized crime is complex.
Consumer choices have far-reaching consequences on socio-economic conditions.
The economic implications of the avocado market affect both producers and consumers.

Guest intro

Jessica Wynn serves as a writer and researcher, publishing her work through her Substack platform. She is a frequent co-host on The Jordan Harbinger Show’s Skeptical Sunday series, where she has broken down complex topics ranging from the test prep industry’s manufactured anxiety to the narco-agriculture behind blood avocados.

The rise of the Hass avocado

The Hass avocado’s longer shelf life and richer flavor have made it a global standard.
This Hass variety like I said it could hang on the tree longer without spoiling so its flavor was richer than those bigger you know the bright green Florida avocados and they were just easier to ship

— Jessica Wynn
The avocado’s ability to be shipped easily contributed to its widespread popularity.
The Hass avocado’s characteristics have significantly impacted global avocado consumption.
Understanding the Hass avocado’s success is crucial for grasping the industry’s growth.
The global market for avocados has been shaped by the Hass variety’s unique properties.
The avocado’s rise is linked to its adaptability and consumer appeal.
The Hass avocado’s dominance in the market is a key factor in the industry’s expansion.

Avocados and social media culture

In 2013, Instagram was flooded with 3,000,000 new photos of avocado toast daily.
In 2013 at the height of the avocado craze Instagram was getting 3,000,000 new photos of avocado toast every single day hashtags like hashtag avocado love and hashtag avocado porn

— Jessica Wynn
Avocado toast became a symbol of food culture and social media trends.
The cultural impact of avocados is evident through their presence on social media.
Social media has played a significant role in popularizing avocados.
The avocado craze on Instagram highlights the fruit’s cultural significance.
Hashtags like #avocadolove and #avocadoporn illustrate the fruit’s popularity.
The intersection of food culture and social media has driven avocado demand.

Cartels and the avocado trade

Drug cartels have become involved in the avocado trade due to its profitability.
…the boom made avocados so profitable that drug cartels got involved and today most Hass avocados actually come from Mexico and some of those same cartels control the trade… it’s just the reality of globalization…

— Jessica Wynn
Cartels operate like multinational corporations, exploiting weak institutions.
…the cartels they operate like multinational corporations so they slide into new markets they exploit weak institutions and they use violence as a business tool…

— Jessica Wynn
The relationship between agricultural profitability and organized crime is complex.
Cartels have shifted from drug trafficking to legal crops like avocados.
The same drug cartels that once trafficked all your cocaine… they saw a new opportunity… avocados are part of a broader trend economists call narco agriculture where cartels exploit these legal crops just like they once exploited cocaine or heroin

— Jessica Wynn
Cartels control the avocado market through violence and intimidation.

The impact of cartel violence on local communities

The avocado industry in Michoacán is intertwined with cartel violence, leading to displacement and migration.
…the avocado boom has become another push factor for migration so families who farmed corn or beans they get caught in the crossfire of cartel taxes land grabs and fights over water…

— Jessica Wynn
The demand for avocados in the US fuels violence and displacement in Mexico.
…the irony is staggering our demand fuels the displacement that sends people north and it’s kind of a a loop or a cycle…

— Jessica Wynn
The socio-economic dynamics of avocado farming in Michoacán are complex.
The avocado boom has become a push factor for migration in Mexico.
The relationship between consumer demand and violence is intricate.
The implications of avocado farming on local communities are significant.

The economic implications of the avocado market

The Mexican avocado market’s growth has led to increased violence and control by cartels.
Between 2016 and 2021 as avocado exports soared the homicide rate in Michoacán more than doubled farmers journalists and activists were all targeted so there’s clear evidence the Mexican avocado market’s exponential growth has been accompanied by these rising levels of violence from the avocado mafia

— Jessica Wynn
Violence in the avocado market is embedded in the pricing structure.
The violence is baked into the price… the risks and costs are pushed on to the farmers and workers in Mexico that’s why economists call it a perverse system

— Jessica Wynn
The economic implications of the avocado market affect both producers and consumers.
The pricing dynamics of avocados are influenced by violence and market control.
Understanding the avocado market’s growth requires examining its economic impact.
The avocado market’s expansion has significant consequences for local economies.