Sustainable practices could save Mexico's blue agave, tequila and bats

Tequila

Mexico

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Published Jan 20, 2024

Tridge summary

Tequila production has a negative impact on biodiversity, particularly on the blue agave and bats. Researchers have studied which measures can positively impact biological diversity and found that voluntary programs, such as the "bat-friendly program," can help but are not enough. Farmers are willing to invest a portion of their harvests to benefit bats and increase agave genetic biodiversity if provided with financial incentives and educational resources.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Many associate tequila with lime wedges, salt and parties. But the popular drink also has a negative impact on biodiversity, both on the blue agave from which it is made and, perhaps more unexpectedly, on bats. Both are threatened by one-sided cultivation.Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, together with colleagues in Mexico and the U.S., have studied which measures can have a positive effect on biological diversity. The study is published in Environmental Research Communications.The increasing global popularity of tequila has driven increasingly intensive cultivation of blue agave. Most producers work with an asexual reproduction technique that prevents the plants from flowering.When flowering, the sugar goes to the nectar in the flowers and the plant is no longer useful for tequila production. This technique damages the agave's genetic diversity and puts the crop at long-term risk. It becomes less resistant to, for example, pests and climate change. In addition, ...

Source: Phys