How the Demand for Avocados Is Destroying Mexico and the Battle for the Amazon Jungle

America’s love for avocados is leading to widespread deforestation in Mexico. Avocado farming in states like Michoacán is causing water shortages because it uses a lot of water. Companies such as West Pak Avocado Inc. and Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. are facing lawsuits for their unsustainable practices despite claiming otherwise.

The Funan Techo Canal project in Cambodia aims to reduce the country’s reliance on ports in Vietnam. The $1.64 billion canal will connect the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to new deep-water ports on the Gulf of Thailand. Critics argue that the project doesn’t make economic sense, and environmentalists are concerned that diverting water from the Mekong could harm Vietnam and its rice-producing regions.

Satellite data reveals that deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has decreased by 46% compared to the previous year. However, the Amazon has still lost over 4,400 square kilometers (1,600 square miles) of land from August 1, 2023, to July 30, 2024, according to the National Institute for Space Research’s Deter satellite system.