Avocado How green is it really?
The “green gold” is nutritional and tasty, but what about its intense water consumption and long transport routes?
This is a generic product profile, all data is based on averages. Actual data will differ based on season, location, and more. Values per avocado.
Farming
About one third of the world’s avocados are farmed in Mexico. Peru, Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Columbia are also among the top producers.
Avocados require tropical and Mediterranean climates. Not including rainfall and natural moisture, it takes more than 100 litres of water to grow one avocado – in some regions as much as 300 litres. Commercially, avocados ripen after harvesting.
Transport
Most avocados are shipped to Europe in cooled containers. Cooling and shipping accounts for a lot of emissions, but they still rank better than fruits transported by plane.
Consumption
Avocados enjoy great popularity in Europe, but are often criticised for their environmental footprint. While local fruits and vegetables tend to have lower footprints and should be preferred, one serving of avocado still has lower emissions than most animal products.
Bananas only have half the footprint of avocados per serving. However, avocados still rank well when compared to fish, meat and other animal products like butter.
Compost
Avocado peels can take a long time to break apart – simply cut them in smaller pieces before adding them to compost. If you’ve got an avocado that’s over-ripe, you might still be able to use it for soup, smoothies or face masks.
Sources
Even though we conduct careful research, errors are possible. The content on this page is provided without guarantee.
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This page was last updated on 12.10.2021.
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