Chain Reaction (clip)

The exponential increase in avocado consumption in the US and worldwide in the last two decades has brought growing prosperity and development for the Mexican state of Michoacán, the only state authorized by the American government to export avocados to the US. Certainly, the popularity of the fruit is something very positive for all the actors involved in its production, distribution and commercialization because the economic benefits could be very important.

However, what many consumers don't know is the complex situation of violence and armed conflicts that exist in the region due to the interest of the different cartels that seek to become part of the growing avocado business in a violent and illegal manner. The dangers and violence that avocado growers and their families face is so great that many have decided to create their own armed groups to protect themselves due to the lack of support from the authorities.

While the US avocado consumer continued to enjoy a year-round availability of the fruit, a sudden price hike in early 2022, and the threat of potential shortages, brought back to the public eye the news about the dangers and violence that avocado producers in Michoacán have faced for a long time, and the cost and sacrifice they have to pay daily to continue producing and sending this highly demanded fruit to consumers outside their borders.

Much of the food we eat goes through
a pretty incredible journey to get to us.

This is especially true of avocados.

They don't grow just anywhere.

They need tons of sunlight
and a ton of rain,

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

come from Mexico,

mostly from the state of Michoacan.

Americans are eating
about three times more avocados

than they did almost 20 years ago.

Higher demand is good news for Michoacan,

but when a region booms,

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

And trust me,

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

CHAIN REACTION

(Michael) Avocados are
big business in Mexico.

The state of Michoacan exports
the majority of them

to the tune of almost
3 billion dollars a year.

I'm someone that really enjoys avocados.

The people here live off the avocado.

(Michael) Locals call it green gold.

Over the past 20 years,
America's obsession with the avocado

has driven industry profits and
lifted many people here out of poverty.

Last year, the United States imported

a record-breaking 2.1 billion pounds
of the fruit from Mexico.

"The green gold."

This was a very poor

and f**ked up region,

but people have improved
their economic situation.

(Michael) And these days, money
in this green gold comes at a price.

Criminal organizations like,
the Cartel de Jalisco and Las Viagras

have set their sights on the fruit

as a way to diversify
their illicit portfolios

by extorting growers and stealing land.

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

who have organized to defend this land,

defend this area from cartels
and criminal groups.

We're coming up to their checkpoint.

You can see a guy standing out here
with an M4 rifle,

a sniper up there--

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

trying to protect this community.

Everyone gather.

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

We'll do a crime prevention patrol.

We'll check that our boundaries are good.

(Michael) Hector "Tata" Saavedra is
the commander of a local defense group

that rose up against
the Knights Templar Cartel

when they tried to take over large swaths
of Michoacan avocado orchards in 2013.

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

We blocked every way to access our town.

No one gets out, no one gets in.

This was our best defense.

Things are a bit different today.

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

Copiado [inaudible]

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

Organized crime is all around us.

There have been situations
where we've been ambushed.

But it's our job to keep doing this.

(Michael) Last year, Tata and his men
found themselves in a firefight

with members of the Cartel de Jalisco.

(bullets ricochetting)

The shootout lasted close to an hour.

The cartel's gunmen eventually retreated,

but not before Tata and his men
captured one of their wounded.

When Tata and his team head out on patrol,

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

who manages the checkpoints.

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

Look at this damn rabbit.

Spicy?

No

It's not too spicy?

How often do you eat rabbit?

Only when gringos come to visit.

(laughter)

(Michael) What kind of attention
did the avocado industry

bring to this community?

Our town used to be ignored.

But since the avocado production started,

the town has become known

and more developed.

(Michael) So these avocados
are ready to cut?

(Hector) This will be ready to cut

at the beginning of December.

Hector's land produces
roughly 20 tons of avocados,

and at 40 pesos a [box],

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

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

but I don't think they realize

what all of Michoacan goes through

to not only harvest them,

but to keep you and the community safe

from the cartels and criminal groups.

What's your message to them to remember

when they eat an avocado?

Producing avocados is very hard.

I'm not talking about hard work,

but it takes a lot of organization.

In some case, it costs blood or lives.

Don't stop eating avocados.

You can rest assured
it's a quality product

and that it's produced
by Mexicans, Michoacans,

and indigenous hands.

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

I ate one this morning.

I constantly eat avocados.

I eat the ones I produce.

I eat them every day.

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

Cheers!

It's good, it's very good, yeah.

Yes, good.

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

I'm allergic. (laughter)

(Michael) For you, personally,
what are you protecting?

(Hector) I'm personally
protecting my family.

This is how we normally practice.

Are you afraid that things
will go back to the way they were?

Things may go back as they were.

But let's hope not.

Fear has always been with us.

This is the reason we got organized.

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