0:00:01.451,0:00:05.832
Much of the food we eat goes through[br]a pretty incredible journey to get to us.
0:00:05.832,0:00:08.631
This is especially true of avocados.
0:00:08.631,0:00:10.110
They don't grow just anywhere.
0:00:10.110,0:00:12.733
They need tons of sunlight [br]and a ton of rain,
0:00:12.733,0:00:15.489
which is why about 3/4 [br]of the world's avocados
0:00:15.489,0:00:16.643
come from Mexico,
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mostly from the state of Michoacan.
0:00:18.968,0:00:21.766
Americans are eating[br]about three times more avocados
0:00:21.766,0:00:24.472
than they did almost 20 years ago.
0:00:24.472,0:00:26.996
Higher demand is good news for Michoacan,
0:00:26.996,0:00:28.574
but when a region booms,
0:00:28.574,0:00:32.038
forces often much shadier [br]aim to get in on the action.
0:00:32.038,0:00:33.352
And trust me,
0:00:33.352,0:00:35.985
that's part of your food's journey too.
0:00:37.250,0:00:39.711
CHAIN REACTION
0:00:42.171,0:00:45.435
(Michael) Avocados are[br]big business in Mexico.
0:00:45.435,0:00:47.901
The state of Michoacan exports[br]the majority of them
0:00:47.901,0:00:50.480
to the tune of almost [br]3 billion dollars a year.
0:00:52.084,0:00:55.689
I'm someone that really enjoys avocados.
0:00:57.163,0:01:00.312
The people here live off the avocado.
0:01:00.716,0:01:02.753
(Michael) Locals call it green gold.
0:01:03.232,0:01:06.570
Over the past 20 years,[br]America's obsession with the avocado
0:01:06.570,0:01:10.387
has driven industry profits and[br]lifted many people here out of poverty.
0:01:11.080,0:01:13.199
Last year, the United States imported
0:01:13.199,0:01:17.216
a record-breaking 2.1 billion pounds[br]of the fruit from Mexico.
0:01:18.199,0:01:20.109
"The green gold."
0:01:20.971,0:01:23.763
This was a very poor
0:01:23.763,0:01:27.588
and f**ked up region,
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but people have improved[br]their economic situation.
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(Michael) And these days, money [br]in this green gold comes at a price.
0:01:38.343,0:01:42.020
Criminal organizations like, [br]the Cartel de Jalisco and Las Viagras
0:01:42.020,0:01:43.643
have set their sights on the fruit
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as a way to diversify[br]their illicit portfolios
0:01:46.307,0:01:48.522
by extorting growers and stealing land.
0:01:49.731,0:01:51.927
We're heading up to meet up [br]with a group of people
0:01:51.927,0:01:54.118
who have organized to defend this land,
0:01:54.118,0:01:57.615
defend this area from cartels[br]and criminal groups.
0:01:57.615,0:01:59.556
We're coming up to their checkpoint.
0:01:59.556,0:02:02.212
You can see a guy standing out here[br]with an M4 rifle,
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a sniper up there--
0:02:03.969,0:02:06.116
You're going to see [br]people like this all over town
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trying to protect this community.
0:02:09.225,0:02:10.502
Everyone gather.
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Look, right now, [br]I'll leave with the officers.
0:02:14.776,0:02:18.707
We'll do a crime prevention patrol.
0:02:18.707,0:02:22.067
We'll check that our boundaries are good.
0:02:22.657,0:02:26.046
(Michael) Hector "Tata" Saavedra is [br]the commander of a local defense group
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that rose up against[br]the Knights Templar Cartel
0:02:28.689,0:02:33.958
when they tried to take over large swaths[br]of Michoacan avocado orchards in 2013.
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At the beginning, we defended ourselves[br]with machetes, sticks, rocks...
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We blocked every way to access our town.
0:02:44.839,0:02:46.849
No one gets out, no one gets in.
0:02:47.490,0:02:49.457
This was our best defense.
0:02:50.510,0:02:53.149
Things are a bit different today.
0:02:54.406,0:02:59.737
Close the convoy at about 50 meters[br]for each vehicle, please.
0:02:59.737,0:03:01.816
Copiado [inaudible]
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We're in the heart of[br]the avocado production zone.
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Organized crime is all around us.
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There have been situations[br]where we've been ambushed.
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But it's our job to keep doing this.
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(Michael) Last year, Tata and his men[br]found themselves in a firefight
0:03:21.685,0:03:23.557
with members of the Cartel de Jalisco.
0:03:23.557,0:03:25.009
(bullets ricochetting)
0:03:25.009,0:03:27.415
The shootout lasted close to an hour.
0:03:27.415,0:03:30.139
The cartel's gunmen eventually retreated,
0:03:30.139,0:03:33.316
but not before Tata and his men[br]captured one of their wounded.
0:03:47.073,0:03:49.557
When Tata and his team head out on patrol,
0:03:49.557,0:03:54.110
it's people like Virgilio Agustin Serrano,[br]a local-farmer-turned-tower-guard,
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who manages the checkpoints.
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I'm going to f**king devour a rabbit.
0:03:58.749,0:04:00.131
Look at this damn rabbit.
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Spicy?
0:04:07.722,0:04:08.564
No
0:04:09.516,0:04:10.948
It's not too spicy?
0:04:12.005,0:04:13.651
How often do you eat rabbit?
0:04:15.254,0:04:17.776
Only when gringos come to visit.
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(laughter)
0:04:20.036,0:04:22.785
(Michael) What kind of attention [br]did the avocado industry
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bring to this community?
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Our town used to be ignored.
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But since the avocado production started,
0:04:32.280,0:04:34.842
the town has become known
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and more developed.
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(Michael) So these avocados[br]are ready to cut?
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(Hector) This will be ready to cut
0:04:45.043,0:04:47.552
at the beginning of December.
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Hector's land produces [br]roughly 20 tons of avocados,
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and at 40 pesos a [box],
0:04:55.324,0:04:59.983
a farm like Virgilio's can rake in [br]some 23,000 dollars per harvest.
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There's a lot of people in the US[br]that love these things,
0:05:02.672,0:05:04.163
but I don't think they realize
0:05:04.163,0:05:06.133
what all of Michoacan goes through
0:05:06.133,0:05:07.441
to not only harvest them,
0:05:07.441,0:05:09.817
but to keep you and the community safe
0:05:09.817,0:05:11.892
from the cartels and criminal groups.
0:05:12.316,0:05:14.321
What's your message to them to remember
0:05:14.321,0:05:15.807
when they eat an avocado?
0:05:15.807,0:05:19.872
Producing avocados is very hard.
0:05:19.872,0:05:22.081
I'm not talking about hard work,
0:05:22.081,0:05:24.513
but it takes a lot of organization.
0:05:24.513,0:05:28.635
In some case, it costs blood or lives.
0:05:29.006,0:05:32.564
Don't stop eating avocados.
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You can rest assured[br]it's a quality product
0:05:35.246,0:05:37.681
and that it's produced [br]by Mexicans, Michoacans,
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and indigenous hands.
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When's the last time[br]you actually got to enjoy one?
0:05:41.624,0:05:44.058
I ate one this morning.
0:05:44.988,0:05:46.668
I constantly eat avocados.
0:05:46.668,0:05:47.936
I eat the ones I produce.
0:05:49.308,0:05:50.688
I eat them every day.
0:05:52.555,0:05:56.182
So, definitely the freshest [br]piece of avocado I have ever eaten.
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Cheers!
0:06:04.416,0:06:06.641
It's good, it's very good, yeah.
0:06:07.709,0:06:08.885
Yes, good.
0:06:09.643,0:06:11.664
I don't know if I should eat[br]this whole thing, though.
0:06:11.664,0:06:13.728
I'm allergic. (laughter)
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(Michael) For you, personally, [br]what are you protecting?
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(Hector) I'm personally[br]protecting my family.
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This is how we normally practice.
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Are you afraid that things [br]will go back to the way they were?
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Things may go back as they were.
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But let's hope not.
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Fear has always been with us.
0:06:44.023,0:06:47.269
This is the reason we got organized.
0:06:47.269,0:06:49.550
We wouldn't have done it[br]if we were not afraid.