By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Produce Merchandiser
Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic avocados from Peru are coming soon!
In previous years we have only had Equal Exchange Fair Trade
Organic avocados throughout the Mexican avocado season, which typically runs from August to May, give or take a month on either end. These avocados come from several Mexican producer co-ops in the Michoacan region. As avocados have continued to become a staple in American diets, Peru has expanded their avocado production as their growing season of May- August perfectly complements the Mexican season.
In 2018 the team at Equal Exchange began working with an organization in Peru called La Grama to source small farmer grown avocados. La Grama works with small farmers to provide technical assistance, org
anizational development, and market access with the goal of connecting these farmers to export markets. Small farmers have always been at a disadvantage of not having this type of technical support or access to larger markets, as well as in countless other ways. Large fruit corporations dominate the supply chain from top to bottom, owning everything from the plantations to the shipping vessels, while small farmers have higher production costs and lack the product volume and power to successfully export their fruit. As a result, these farmers must organize into cooperatives to aggregate supply and maneuver access to markets.
This is where Equal Exchange comes in. By collaborating with these small-farmer grower cooperatives and connecting with markets in the US, Equal Exchange has managed to create a reliable avocado supply chain for co-op and independent grocers (bananas, too! Read more about bananas here). Of course, it is not nearly as easy as it sounds. It requires organizing with farmers, packing houses, shippers via ocean and highway, distributors, and grocers.
In the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons Weaver Street Market participated in Equal Exchange’s Peruvian avocado supply trials for just a few weeks each year. In 2020 we plan to offer Fair Trade Organic Peruvian avocados from May through August! This is an extremely exciting development for us as it means having Fair Trade avocados YEAR ROUND!
The geographical and climatic differences in Mexico versus Peru results in variations between the avocados from each region. You will find that the avocados from Peru tend to have a more pebbly textured skin, don’t always turn dark in color when ripe, and have a lower oil content. Look for the Peru avocado ripening guides that we will have on the displays (also found here). Most importantly, try them out and see what you think!
Weaver Street Market values cooperative partnerships and organizations that work to make a better world for small farmers, at home and abroad.
Read Equal Exchange’s Peru avocados blog post here.
To check the Peruvian Avocado Ripening Guide click here.