1 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Much of the food we eat goes through a pretty incredible journey 2 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to get to us. 3 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is especially true of avocados. 4 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They don't grow just anywhere. 5 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They need tons of sunlight and a ton of rain, 6 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 which is why about 3/4 of the world's avocados 7 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 come from Mexico. 8 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Mostly from the state of Michoacan. 9 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Americans are eating about three times more avocados 10 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 than they did almost 20 years ago. 11 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Higher demand is good for Michoacan, 12 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but when a region booms, 13 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 forces often much shadier, aim to get in on the action. 14 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 And trust me, 15 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that's part of your food's journey too. 16 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 CHAIN REACTION 17 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Avocados are big business in Mexico. 18 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 *The state of Michoacan exports the majority of them to the tune of almost 3 billion dollars a year. 19 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 When we also United Las personas que momentum, Chillicothe. 20 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Thank you, baby. 21 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The locals, call it green gold 22 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 over the past 20 years, America's obsession with the avocado. 23 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 His driven industry profits in Lifted. Many people here out of poverty. 24 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Last year the United States imported, 25 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a record-breaking 2.1 billion pounds of the fruit from Mexico. 26 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Another redness the is that I'm not surprised 27 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 these days - green gold comes at a price 28 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 criminal organizations like the Cartel De Jalisco and last few agra's 29 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 have set their sights on the fruit as a way to diversify. Their illicit portfolios 30 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by extorting Growers and steel. 31 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Land, 32 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 we're heading up to meet up with a group of people who have organized to defend 33 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 this land. Defend this area from cartels, and criminal groups. 34 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 And we're coming up to their checkpoint. 35 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Can see a guy standing out here with an M4 rifle. Sniper up there. 36 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 You're going to see people like this all over town trying to protect this community. 37 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I mean, is it those? 38 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Made it all ready. To--. 39 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The prevention 40 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is the commander of a local defense group that rose up against the Knights, 41 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Templar cartel. 42 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 When it tried to take over large swaths of Mitchell cons. Avocado, orchards in 2013. 43 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In his element and Stephanie muskaan machetes, compiles, computers, 44 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 romulo successful. 45 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Not only in the entrance is a bonus track for defense. 46 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The other weapons comes in poke two different things. 47 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Cheering welcome, boys. 48 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Avila said soon, as in this case here, in Houston, little mascara Central Awards. 49 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Last year taught on his men found themselves in a firefight 50 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with members of the Cartel De Jalisco the shootout, lasted close to an hour, 51 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the cartel, gunmen eventually retreated, 52 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but not before taught on his men captured. One of their wounded. 53 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Went out on his team, head out on patrol. 54 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's people like for Healy Augustine Serano, local farmer. 55 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Turn Tower guard, who mans the checkpoints but I'm awake connect. 56 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Not often. Do we rabbit? 57 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So romantic on the Wind of Gringo's are eternal. 58 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 What kind of attention did the avocado industry bring to this community? 59 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It almost from well below 60 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the government. Regalo para la parte de la production. 61 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 We do. He saw the sorrow. 62 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So these avocados ready to cut? There's a star listo, Para cortar. 63 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Ha of land produces roughly 20 tons of avocados, 64 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and at 40 pesos of Papua Farm, like, 65 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 for Helios can rake in some 23,000 dollars per Harvest. 66 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 There's a lot of people in the US that love these things, 67 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but I don't think they realize what all of Michoacan goes through 68 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to not only Harvest them but to keep you in 69 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the community safe from the cartels and criminal groups. 70 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 What's your message to them? To remember when they eat an avocado? 71 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Like what got the Cuesta? Mucho trabajo? 72 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 No, mas 73 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 trabajo. She know Questa 74 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 organization Cuesta de Sangre in algunos De vidas en algunos casos. 75 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 North American West robotic. 76 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Consume an avocado. 77 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 When's the last time you actually got to enjoy one, 78 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 all you want on my animal communicator? 79 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So definitely be the freshest piece of avocado I've ever eaten. Cheers. 80 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's good. 81 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's very good. Yeah. 82 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Yeah, what up? Don't know if I should do this whole thing though, I'm allergic. 83 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 For you personally. What are you protecting me? And I open another meant to 84 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 protect me familiar. 85 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Are you afraid that things will go back to the way they were 86 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 when they occur Jaeger status koshwal esperamos, que, no, Pare.