Avocado consumption hits record highs, boosted by health trends

Dive brief:

• Monthly avocado shipments to the United States set a new record in January 2021 at nearly 320 million pounds, a 33% increase year-over-year, according to rabobank research. Demand is also increasing throughout the year, with deliveries in March 2021 up 20% compared to the same period in 2020.

• Although Rabobank does not expect prices to reach the same levels as in 2019, it expects average avocado prices to remain higher than in 2020. The report estimates that shipments for 2021 and 2022 will be in 12% increase from the three-year average for 2018-2020.

• Per capita consumption more than doubled between 2010 and 2020 to reach over 8.5 pounds per year and could exceed 11 pounds per person by 2026. Interest in healthy eating is boosting demand with restaurant reopens and a revival of economic activity as a pandemic restrictions are lifted, but issues with sourcing and sustainable cultivation pose challenges, Rabobank noted.

Dive overview:

Sometimes called superfoods, avocados pack a punch with high levels of monosaturated fats as well as potassium, fiber, folate, essential vitamins and minerals. Consuming green fruits instead of refined carbohydrates may also increase satiety in obese and weight gain adults, according to a study by the Illinois Institute of Technology Nutrition Research Center.

Avocados have also proven to be very versatile and are found in everything from guacamole to ice cream. The upcycling startup Hidden Gem Beverage Co. even makes drinks from avocado pits. EffectivelyThe seeds have a lot of potential value. At Pennsylvania State University, researchers developed a range of natural food colors in the red-orange-yellow spectrum of avocado seeds, and the kernels may even have the ability to control listeria.

However, as demand skyrockets, supply remains a challenge for the avocado industry due to the regional nature of the crop, the Rabobank report notes. Mexico is the main supplier of avocados to the US market, with Peru and California also among the largest in the world. California will have a slightly lighter avocado crop this year compared to recent years, according to Rabobank. This could create supply issues when California and Peru’s harvest seasons end and Mexico switches to a new season.

And the avocado industry needs to keep an eye on sustainability to ensure the fruit’s reputation as “green gold” remains. TThe Sustainable Food Trust called attention to what he describes as the damaging impact of the ongoing “green gold rush” around lawyers. He cites a study by Carbon Footprint Ltd. which reveals that two small avocados in a package have a carbon footprint that is double the amount a kilo of bananas, for example. Avocados are a difficult crop to grow, requiring specific conditions and a high number of inputs in some cases.

Another factor that determines the carbon footprint of avocados as well as the thousands of kilometers they often travel to reach consumers. land management policies in countries that encourage production without taking deforestation into account.

This scrutiny comes as the environmental and sustainable credentials of food become more important to consumers. Eleven percent of consumers recently changed their purchasing decisions to include more products with environmental claims between 2019 and 2020, according to Kearney’s research.

There are some efforts to improve the durability of avocado. Finding a way to recycle avocado seeds could also reduce the carbon footprint of avocado production and offer food manufacturers the opportunity to market their recycled products to sustainability-conscious consumers.