Avocado Cartels and the Manufactured Crisis of Supply Chains
The annual Super Bowl avocado demand, projected to reach record levels, acts as a critical junctures for understanding the interwoven dynamics of agricultural trade, organized crime, and geopolitical influence in Mexico. The narrative of extortion, while accurate in its immediate description of farmer threats, simplifies the underlying power structures. THE ACTORS: Who is involved in this story?
Primarily, the Michoacán avocado farmers and laborers are at the base of this pyramid. Above them are the export-focused agricultural businesses, heavily integrated into US supply chains. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plays a regulatory role, intermittently halting imports ostensibly for worker safety, a move that simultaneously creates artificial scarcity and price leverage. The primary
criminal actors are regional cartels, specifically identified by Mexican authorities as operating in Michoacán for decades, often exploiting existing community grievances and a lack of state presence (UNODC, 2012). These groups have diversified beyond drug trafficking into extortion, illegal logging, and controlling agricultural production and distribution routes. THE FUNDING: Where does their
money come from? The total value of Mexico's avocado exports to the US approached $3 billion in 2023. A significant portion of this revenue, estimated by Mexican security analysts to be between 15-30% in highly contested regions, is siphoned off by cartels through 'protection' payments and direct control of production and packing facilities. The consumer ultimately bears this cost. US importers,