Growing avocado would exacerbate global water scarcity problems

Published 2020년 10월 7일

Tridge summary

The global demand for avocados has surged, with exports increasing from 230 million kilograms in 1990 to 1,300 million in 2020. However, the report 'The Implications of the Avocado Trade on Global Scarcity' highlights the ecological and local population challenges caused by avocado cultivation due to its high water usage. The report finds that avocado requires four times more water than orange production and ten times more water than tomato production. The countries most impacted by this water use include Mexico, Chile, Israel, the United States, Australia, South Africa, Rwanda, Peru, Spain, and Morocco, many of which are already grappling with drought and water scarcity. Mexico has the highest water scarcity footprint (WSF) in avocado production at 27%.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Avocados have grown in popularity over the years. A report titled "The Implications of the Avocado Trade on Global Scarcity" indicates that the demand for avocado export increased from 230 million kilograms in 1990 to 1,300 million in 2020. However, their cultivation is said to be a machine. absorb water with adverse effects on ecosystems and local populations. As runnermag.ca reports, "The rule of thumb for mature [avocado trees] is about 20 gallons of water per day during the irrigation season." And it turns out that twenty gallons of water a day for one tree is more than what other fruits consume. Which makes avocado a very hydrous crop. According to the report on world scarcity, avocado "requires four times more water than the production of a kilo of oranges and ten times that of a kilo of tomato". The report thus uses a model that calculates the impact that water use has had on local water scarcity over the past 25 years, called the water scarcity footprint (WSF). And ...

Source: Agrimaroc