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Much of the food we eat
goes through a pretty incredible journey

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to get to us.

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This is especially true of avocados.

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They don't grow just anywhere.

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They need tons of sunlight
and a ton of rain,

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which is why about 3/4 
of the world's avocados

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come from Mexico.

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Mostly from the state of Michoacan.

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Americans are eating
about three times more avocados

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than they did almost 20 years ago.

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Higher demand is good for Michoacan,

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but when a region booms,

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forces often much shadier, 
aim to get in on the action.

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And trust me,

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that's part of your food's journey too.

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CHAIN REACTION

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<i>Avocados are big business in Mexico.</i>

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<i>The state of Michoacan exports
the majority of them</i>

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<i>to the tune of almost 
3 billion dollars a year.</i>

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I'm someone that really enjoys avocados.

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The people here live off the avocado.

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<i>Locals call it green gold.</i>

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<i>Over the past 20 years,
America's obsession with avocado</i>

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<i>has driven industry profits and
lifted many people here out of poverty.</i>

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<i>Last year, the United States imported</i>

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<i>a record-breaking 
2.1 billion pounds of the fruit</i>

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<i>from Mexico.</i>

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"The green gold."

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This was a very poor and f**ked up region,

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but people have improved
their economic situation.

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<i>And these days, money as green gold
comes at a price.</i>

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<i>Criminal organizations,
ike Cartel de Jalisco en [ ]</i>

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<i>have set their sights on the fruit</i>

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<i>as a way to diversify
their illicit portfolios</i>

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<i>by extorting growers and stealing land.</i>

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We're heading up to meet up 
with a group of people

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who have organized to defend this land, 
defend this area,

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from cartels and criminal groups.

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We're coming up to their checkpoint.

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You can see a guy standing out here
with an M4 rifle, a sniper up there--

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you're going to see 
people like this all over town

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trying to protect this community.

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Everyone gather.

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Look right now, I'll leave with the officers.

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We'll do a crime prevention patrol.

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We'll check that our boundaries are good.

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<i>Hector "Tata" Saavedra is 
the commander of a local defense group</i>

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<i>that rose up against
the KnightsTemplar Cartel</i>

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<i>When it tried to take over large swaths
of Michoacan avocado orchards in 2013.</i>

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At the beginning, we defended ourselves
with machetes, sticks, rocks...

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We blocked every way to access our town.

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No one gets out, no one gets in.

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This was our best defense.

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Things are a bit different today.

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Close the convoy at about 50 meters
for each vehicle, please.

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<i>Copiado [inaudible]</i>

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We're in the heart of
the avocado production zone.

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Organized crime is all around us.

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There have been situations
where we've been ambushed.

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But it's our job to keep doing this.

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<i>Last year, Tata and his men
found themselves in a firefight</i>

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<i>with members of the Cartel de Jalisco.</i>

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<i>The shootout lasted close to an hour.</i>

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<i>The cartel's gunmen eventually retreated,</i>

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<i>but not before Tata and his men
captured one of their wounded.</i>

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(speaking Spanish)

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<i>When Tata and his team head out on patrol,</i>

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<i>it's people like Virgilio Agustin Serrano,
a local-farmer-turned-tower-guard,</i>

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<i>who manages the checkpoints.</i>

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I'm going to f**king devour a rabbit.

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Look at this damn rabbit.

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Spicy?

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No

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It's not too spicy?

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How often do you eat rabbit?

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Only when gringos come to visit.
(laughter)

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What kind of attention did the avocado
industry bring to this community?

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Our town used to be ignored.

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But since the avocado production started,

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the town has become known

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and more developed.

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So these avocados are ready to cut?

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This will be ready to cut

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at the beginning of December.

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<i>Hector's land produces 
roughly 20 tons of avocados,</i>

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<i>and at 40 pesos a pop,</i>

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<i>a farm like Virgilio's can rake in 
some 23,000 dollars per harvest.</i>

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There's a lot of people in the US
that love these things,

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but I don't think they realize
what all of Michoacan goes through

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to not only harvest them,

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but to keep you and the community safe 
from the cartels and criminal groups.

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What's your message to them to remember
when they're eating an avocado?

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Producing avocados is very hard.

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I'm not talking about hard work,

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but it takes a lot of organization.

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In some case, it costs blood or lives.

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Don't stop eating avocados.

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You can rest assured
it's a quality product

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and that it's produced 
by Mexicans from Michoacan

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and indigenous hands.

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When's the last time
you actually got to enjoy one?

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I ate one this morning.

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I constantly eat avocados.

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I eat the ones I produce.

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I eat them every day.

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So, definitely the freshest 
piece of avocado I have ever eaten.

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Cheers.

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It's good, it's very good.

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Yes, good.

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I don't know if I should eat
this whole thing now.

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I'm allergic. (laughter)

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For you, personally, 
what are you protecting?

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I'm personally protecting my family.

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This is how we normally practice.

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Are you afraid that things 
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.

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This is the reason we got organized.

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We wouldn't have done it
if we were not afraid.