The global obsession with avocados is palpable, evident in the staggering number of Instagram photos uploaded daily—3 million showcasing avocados in various forms: whole, halved, or spread atop whole wheat toast.

In 2015 alone, UK consumers spent a staggering £142 million on avocados.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the United States, known as the world's largest consumer market for avocados, saw consumption of 4 billion avocados. In a quirky economic calculation, it was estimated that an American who abstained from consuming avocados for 40 years could potentially afford a suite of flats.

Not to be outdone, Australia imported nearly 730,000 tonnes of avocados in 2014 alone, commanding a significant 46% share of the global market. Despite its meteoric rise in popularity, the initial encounter with avocados often leaves many underwhelmed due to their perceived bland flavor. However, the tide swiftly turns, with an astonishing 60% of individuals becoming ardent fans after their second or third taste.

Avocado has transcended mere culinary delight, infiltrating restaurants, dessert stores, and even the fashion world, where it has been adorned by trendsetting fashionistas. Interestingly, just forty-five years ago, in 1974, avocados fetched prices as high as $1 each, posing a significant challenge to consumer acceptance. Fortunately, savvy marketers positioned avocados as a "luxury item," capitalizing on their reputation as a source of healthy fats. This rebranding effort, which gained momentum in the 1990s, saw avocados being promoted as a Super Bowl snack and featured prominently in advertisements by the Mexican Avocado Association around 2009, further cementing its popularity.

The avocado's journey to stardom began in late 19th-century California, where it was introduced to expand sales. Growers enlisted the services of public relations firms to devise elaborate marketing strategies, including filming reality shows, placing advertisements in prestigious publications like the New York Times and during the Super Bowl, and even organizing beauty contests to elevate the avocado's status as a household staple and health food. Celebrity endorsements have also played a pivotal role in fueling the avocado craze. Influential figures such as Kim Kardashian, supermodel Behati Prinsloo, and Blake Lively, renowned for her role as Serena van der Woodsen in the hit TV series Gossip Girl, have all professed their love for avocados.

Mexico, the world's leading avocado producer, accounts for over 30% of global avocado production, boasting the ability to cultivate avocados year-round. In 2016, Mexico raked in over $1.5 billion from avocado exports alone, with the state of Michoacan contributing a staggering 80% of total avocado production.

However, the environmental impact of avocado cultivation is cause for concern. The epicenter of avocado tree cultivation in Michoacan, Mexico, was once lush with pine and fir trees. To make way for avocado orchards, local farmers have resorted to cutting down trees, resulting in ecological devastation and loss of habitat. This unchecked deforestation has dire consequences for local rivers and wildlife, exacerbating water scarcity issues.

Avocado cultivation is notorious for its water-intensive nature. It takes hundreds of thousands of liters of water to sustain just four avocado trees annually, with each tree requiring 3-5 years to yield fruit. This intensive water usage has depleted local rivers, jeopardizing ecosystems and exacerbating water scarcity issues. Alarmingly, a study revealed that Mexico lost approximately 6.9 square kilometers of forests between 2000 and 2010 due to the expansion of avocado cultivation.

Driven by the promise of lucrative returns, avocado growers are recklessly exploiting ecological resources. Their relentless pursuit of profit threatens to irreversibly damage delicate ecosystems, prompting calls for sustainable avocado cultivation practices to mitigate environmental degradation and preserve biodiversity.