Tag: Environmental Impacts
Climate change and agricultural workers in the Michoacán avocado industry: Opportunities and trade-offs in coupling plant and human health for sustainability
The rapidly expanding demand for avocado production places significant strain on agricultural communities and associated ecosystems. As temperature increases and water scarcity worsens, the avocado, a high-water demanding crop, faces declining yields and increased tree mortality. Deforestation, monoculture farming, and pesticide use further threaten interconnected landscapes, reducing biodiversity, degrading soil quality, and devaluing natural capital. Michoacán, Mexico, the largest producer of
Avocado production in different biomes throughout Peru: do differing cultivation practices translate into differences in environmental impacts?
PURPOSE: Avocado production in Peru takes place in different biomes and under different agricultural systems (e.g., conventional, organic, or agroforestry). Therefore, it is important to understand differences in the environmental profile of avocado production within the diversity of these cultivation systems. Hence, the main objective of the study was to conduct a cradle-to-gate attributional Life Cycle Assessment of avocado production in Peru by small and medium-sized producers, under multiple
Risk assessment of pesticides used in the eastern Avocado Belt of Michoacan, Mexico: A survey and water monitoring approach
Pesticides use raises concerns regarding environmental sustainability, as pesticides are closely linked to the decline of biodiversity and adverse human health outcomes. This study proposed a holistic approach for assessing the potential risks posed by pesticides for human health and the environment in the eastern region of Michoacan, where extensive agricultural lands, especially corn and avocado fields, surround the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. We used a combination of qualitative (semi-structured
Identifying Optimal Zones for Avocado (Persea americana Mill) Cultivation in Iberian Peninsula: A Climate Suitability Analysis
In recent decades, the cultivation of avocados (Persea americana Mill) has expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, with most of the production occurring on the Southern Atlantic and Mediterranean Coast, as well as in the Canary Islands. This expansion is due to high demand and high prices, which have made the crop very attractive. However, climatic suitability criteria have not always been followed, putting sustainability at risk. Avocados originate from tropical and subtropical areas and have
Critical overview of the expansion of Hass avocado plantations in Salamina, northern Caldas, Colombia
This paper sheds light on the broader impacts of high-value commodity crops in the tropics by examining critically the rapid expansion of Hass avocado plantations (HAP). Using Salamina as a case study, this paper provides empirical evidence of local impacts and highlights the need for more sustainable and equitable governance strategies to manage emerging socio-economic and environmental challenges. HAP are transforming Salamina's traditional landscape by seizing considerable areas for avocado cultivation
Towards use of life cycle–based indicators to support continuous improvement in the environmental performance of avocado orchards in New Zealand
PURPOSE: A life cycle assessment (LCA) study was undertaken for the orchard stage of the NZ avocado value chain, to guide the development of indicators for facilitating continuous improvement in its environmental profile. METHODS: The functional unit (FU) was 1 kg Hass avocados produced in NZ, up to the orchard gate. The baseline model assessed avocados produced in fully productive orchards, using input data collected from 49 orchards across 281 ha in the three main avocado growing regions of