Through much of the year, our avocados come from farmer co-ops in the Michoacan Province of Mexico. But January through March is the height of flavor for these avocados: the fruit has developed higher oil content, resulting in a buttery flavor and texture.
Last Fall’s Avocado Strike
Michoacan is the avocado capital of the world. But powerful corporate interests put avocado growers at a disadvantage. Many avocado farmers have no choice but to sell their fruit to large agribusinesses, having no say over what price they receive for their products. These corporations own the packing houses that determine the grade of the fruit, often claiming more fruit as sub-standard so that the growers get paid even less.
Weaver Street Market purchases avocados from Equal Exchange, the importing partner for the PRAGOR co-op. This co-op of small avocado farms overcame many barriers to bring their fruit to market independently. Equal Exchange operates with an alternative supply chain, negotiating directly with the farmers.
However, when most of Michoacan’s avocado farmers went on strike last fall, citing low prices and the lack of transparency, the PRAGOR farmers were also prevented from getting their fruit to market. Meghan Bodo from Equal Exchange wrote a blog post about the causes of the strike: https://equalexchange.coop/blog/where-did-all-the-avocados-go-exploring-market-imperfections
Eat More Avocados
In addition to being delicious and supporting small farmers, avocados have many health benefits. This website provides details (with sources!): https://healthybutsmart.com/avocado-benefits/
Looking for a new recipe? Here’s a guacamole recipe from Mexico, Scarlett’s Guacamole: http://blog.equalexchange.coop/guacamole/