Good things come in green

People just can’t seem to get enough of our avocados. And we get it! But that growing demand needs to go hand in hand with building a responsible, sustainable industry. Which is why, in 2020, APEAM (Avocado Producer and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico) became the first Mexican agricultural association to sign on to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Working with Mexican growers and packers, we’re making the Agenda’s sustainable development goals a reality, one avocado orchard at a time. Which means that when you buy our avocados, you’re buying a world of good.

Good for people

380,000
direct and indirect jobs created since 1997
30,000
small avocado orchards supported
39
courses on social responsibility in farming delivered in 2021–2022 alone

Avocados From Mexico are primarily grown on small family- or community-owned orchards (called ejidos) of less than 5 hectares. The money earned creates social and economic stability and helps local communities thrive. In fact, avocado-farming communities and regions consistently outperform neighboring areas on key indicators like education, health, basic services, and housing.

Plus, as members of the Avocado Producer and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico (APEAM), our growers and packers complete training and certification programs to make sure their operations protect workers’ rights and consumer health.

They also receive equipment to keep their workers safe in the field and benefit from technical advice and diagnostics to support good farming practices, helping them nurture strong, resilient orchards that can be passed down to future generations.

Good for communities

7,839
elementary and middle school students sponsored
24
schools in 15 municipalities supported through the Lazos Foundation
$3.9M USD
invested in education

Through APEAM, our growers and packers have donated approximately US$3.9 million to school infrastructure projects and to support quality education through the Lazos Foundation. That’s 24 schools in 15 municipalities where parents and teachers have received support and training and a total of 7,839 elementary and middle school students who have been sponsored. The result: 96% of students in these schools went on to high school (the national average is 58%), and enrollment has increased by 11% per year (vs. an average of 5%), with some schools offering alternative class hours to better accommodate students.

APEAM has also donated supplies to hospitals and a seniors’ home in recent years to further support the communities where avocados are grown and packed.

Good for the planet

2.5
million trees planted
2,100
hectares reforested
121
fires controlled by our forest brigades

When it comes to sustainability, avocados definitely hold their own. That’s because avocado orchards only need 600 L of water to produce 1 kg of super nutritious food. Compare that to cereal crops, which can use up to 1,644 L of water to produce 1 kg of food. What’s more, Avocados From Mexico are grown in the country’s Volcanic Belt, in the state of Michoacán—a lush area known as the avocado strip and the only place in the world where the avocado trees bloom four times a year. Most growers in the avocado strip rely entirely on rain and surface water to water their orchards, which minimizes their impact on the groundwater aquifers people use for drinking water. As part of its sustainability commitment, APEAM monitors watersheds in avocado-growing areas to make sure they aren’t contaminated with pesticides and installs probes and weather stations to help growers optimize irrigation.

It even has plans to implement a rainwater collection program to replenish local aquifers in the avocado strip using gabion dams, water collection trenches, and other techniques.

Our growers know that healthy forests make for healthy avocado orchards, which is why APEAM created a reforestation program in 2011, delivering a whopping 2.9 million trees to Michoacán farms and municipalities between 2011 and 2022. More than 3,550 acres of land have been reforested to date, with tree survival rates of more than 80% for 2019–2021. APEAM is also working with the Mexican government to prevent illegal logging and plans to protect a total of 558,041 hectares of forest in the avocado strip through its Forest Conservation Program.

To protect Michoacán’s forests from fires, APEAM has trained and equipped 18 forest brigades in 16 municipalities. Together, they have helped contain a total of 121 fires so far. We’ve also set up a monitoring system that provides municipalities, avocado growers, fire brigades, and other stakeholders with daily updates on hot spots reported in the avocado strip to help them prevent and contain fires.

Our growers constantly strive to reduce their use of chemical pesticides and adopt more sustainable farming methods. APEAM helps by offering education and training, testing crops to ensure that pesticide residue limits are respected prior to harvest, conducting research aimed at reducing pests and diseases in avocado orchards through sustainable soil and water management, and developing soil management methods aimed at helping growers adapt to climate change.

And let’s not forget bees and their buddies! After all, pollinators are a key part of the avocado lifecycle. APEAM is currently running a special project to identify the plants used by pollinator insects in avocado orchards and train growers on how to protect them. Through APEAM’s work, use of best practices to protect pollinator-friendly plants is on the rise among APEAM growers. And since those plants also help regulate soil temperature and maintain humidity, the project is helping growers reduce their watering needs as well.

Of course, it’s not just about pollinator insects. The avocado strip is part of a precious ecosystem and lies in one of Mexico’s most biodiverse states. That’s why APEAM is also working on a program to preserve biodiversity in the avocado strip.

And good for you!

20
Beneficial nutriments
25mg
of potassium per 50g serving
0
Sugar, sodium, and cholesterol free

Avocados are like a superfruit. That’s because they’re both super, and a fruit.

Need more reasons? We’ve got five, and they’re USDA approved!

  1. Avocados are virtually the only healthy fruit with monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat or “good fats”.
  2. They contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. Talk about a superpowered snack!
  3. Most of their calories (6 grams per 50 gram serving) come from unsaturated fat, which is essential for healthy brain development. Add in 3 grams of fibre with every 50-gram serving (11% of your recommended daily intake!) and you’ve got a fat + fibre power combo that = filling and delicious.
  4. Avocados contain 25 mg of potassium per 50 g serving. And we all know what potassium does, right? It regulates your heartbeat, ensures proper nerve and muscle function, is vital for synthesizing protein and metabolizing carbohydrates, and helps neutralize the negative effects of sodium on blood pressure. Incredible!
  5. Avocados are a good source of vitamin K, a nutrient that helps prevent blood clots and supports bone health. What’s more, those avocado fats we mentioned earlier help your body absorb nutrients, including liposoluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Talk about synergy!
  6. They’re sugar, sodium, and cholesterol free.

…Did we mention they’re creamy and delicious?

Meet the people who make the avo magic

Avocados From Mexico are brought to you by the Avocado Producer and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico (APEAM), a private, non-profit Mexican organization that supports thousands of avocado growers and packers and their communities.

APEAM is dedicated to leading the way by delivering delicious avocados that consistently set the standard for safety, traceability, efficiency, and sustainable farming. That means better guac for you, better lives for APEAM partners, and stronger communities wherever APEAM avocados are grown and packed. Now that’s what we call avocado magic!

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