Opening Markets: the Mexican Avocado Export Boom to USA

Abstract

Mexico is the main producer and exporter of avocados worldwide. This fruit has had a great dynamism during the last years, because of the export boom promoted by the opening of the US market in 1997. The main purpose of this article is to improve the understanding of global commodity chains, through the analysis of the agents that are exporting avocados to USA; the benefits that agribusiness and producers are obtaining, and the consequences of that new activity on the environment and employment. We found a great concentration of benefits on six multinational firms, three of them representing global companies. There have been positive effects on Mexican companies, producers and other agents, but the negative impact of the activity on the environment lead us to question the sustainability of the export boom.

Keywords

• aguacate
• no tradicionales
• industria agroalimentaria
• empresas multinacionales
• méxico