The overproduction of agave for tequila in Mexico triggers climate alerts

Tequila

Agave Leaves

Vegetables

Mexico

Published Jul 13, 2023

Tridge summary

The agave landscape of tequila, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site 17 years ago, is increasingly under threat due to the growing demand for the Mexican drink. The expansion of agave crops for tequila production is contributing to the loss of essential ecosystems and causing farmers to shift away from cultivating basic grains. The increase in agave production is also impacting the climate crisis by deforesting natural spaces and preventing the absorption of carbon dioxide by tropical forests.

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Original content

Guadalajara (Mexico), (EFE).- The agave landscape of tequila celebrates 17 years of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site this Wednesday, but given the growing demand for the Mexican drink in the last 10 years, spaces for monoculture, contributing to the climate crisis. The increase in the areas cultivated with the agave plant, from which tequila is extracted, contributes to the loss of key ecosystems for the environment and to the fact that farmers stop producing basic grains such as corn, specialists consulted by EFE agreed. In 2006, the agave landscape was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which recognized 34,658 hectares of crops for their scenic beauty and cultural importance. , social and historical. This landscape close to the town of Tequila, where the drink originates, extended to forests, jungles and mountains of Jalisco and other states, such as Guanajuato and Michoacán, so that producers have ...

Source: Elperiodicodemexico