On a canal-side street in Amsterdam, an avocado-themed restaurant draws tourists, leveraging the avocado's link to wellness. The menu includes avocado chips, avocado toast, and burgers with avocado halves as buns. Known as 'green gold,' avocados have become central to European cuisine, with demand rising in cafes and stores from Amsterdam to London.
Europe, now the second-largest avocado consumer globally, sees the Netherlands as a key distribution hub, importing 378,591 tonnes in 2023 and exporting 345,890 tonnes, making it the largest non-producing exporter worldwide. However, this demand has ecological implications.
In Kenya, climate change impacts like record rainfall and droughts push farmers to use more chemicals and pesticides for avocado cultivation. Avocados require about 320 liters of water each, significantly more than other crops. Their journey from Kenya to ports like Rotterdam adds to their ecological footprint.
In Muranga County, the heart of Kenya's avocado industry, farmers like Frederick Kinyanjui face climate-induced challenges. He battles pests with pesticides, noting, "There are more fruit flies and codling moths." Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather worsen pest issues, affecting fruit quality and export suitability.
Muranga's volcanic soils and climate favor avocado growth, with the county producing over 70% of Kenya's avocados. Kenya, leading Africa in avocado production, exported 82% of East Africa's avocados in 2024, reaching 562 thousand metric tons. The FAO projects avocados will be the second most traded tropical fruit by 2030, after bananas.
Avocado farming in Kenya began with Portuguese settlers in the 1930s. Despite its tea and coffee fame, Kenya's avocado industry, dominated by smallholders, has grown due to European demand. However, increased production has consequences.
The Route to Food Initiative reported in 2023 that many pesticides used in Kenya are banned in the EU, indicating a double standard. In Muranga, farmers often lack protective gear when handling chemicals. Ann Wanjira Nyutu, a farmer, struggles with pests but can't afford pesticides, affecting her harvest's marketability.
After harvest, avocados go to middlemen and processing plants. Margaret, in quality control, ensures avocados meet export standards. They are shipped to Rotterdam in refrigerated containers for optimal conditions.
Muranga farmers face income fluctuations and low prices, despite avocados being more lucrative than coffee or tea. Middlemen take most profits, leaving farmers with little choice but to accept low prices. The Avocado Association of Kenya's license withdrawal in 2024 left producers without representation.
Farmer Arthur Kamau criticizes the middleman system, saying, "Growing avocados is very expensive, but exporters make most of the money." He and others seek more government support and direct market access to European cities like Amsterdam. Kamau believes a functioning market is essential, as middlemen dominate the industry, stating, "These guys are simply killing us."
Source: Small Stream Media