China’s Durian business, Mexico’s Avocados and the U.S. marijuana trade

The durian, known as the world’s smelliest fruit, is a lucrative business in Southeast Asia due to high demand from China. In the past, durians were inexpensive and sold informally, but their popularity in China has transformed their cultivation and trade. Last year, durian exports from Southeast Asia to China reached a value of $6.7 billion, increasing twelvefold from 2017. Notably, China is the primary importer of durians, with Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam being the key suppliers.

The United States has halted inspections of avocado and mango farms in the Mexican state of Michoacán after two U.S. Department of Agriculture workers were attacked and detained by locals. Michoacán is renowned as Mexico’s largest avocado exporter. Criminal organisations, including drug cartels, are involved in the region, extorting money from avocado producers and using threats of kidnapping and violence.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee has launched a marijuana dispensary, asserting their sovereignty, despite attempts by North Carolina officials to constrain their operations. The tribe believes in their right to enact their own regulations, as they did before the arrival of European settlers. While cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., approximately 41 states and the District of Columbia permit its use for medicinal or recreational purposes.