In recent years, an avocado craze has broken out. The so-called green gold has placed Spain as the first power in the European Union in its cultivation, eighth in the world, unleashing its demand and production due to the benefits it entails. However, this last aspect is where its great prejudice hides, since the water it requires could lead to a hydrological collapse.
It is one of the great concerns of environmentalists, especially in the south of Spain where the main part of the avocado crop is produced. Despite the multiple benefits it has, or the income it generates due to its high price (its kilo in Malaga costs three times that of one tomato), its water consumption exceeds the national infrastructure.
The cultivation of avocado and other citrus fruits entails 80% of the water consumption in a Malaga region
This was denounced by the program En el punto de mira, , where they highlighted that avocado (in most citrus fruits) accounts for 80% of water consumption in the region of Axarquia (Málaga). More than 100 cubic hectometers if urban consumption, livestock and golf courses are added, which makes it practically impossible to cover the entire infrastructure of the region.
“Irrigation cannot be indefinite and the limits are established by the available resources. As of 2008, with an increase in avocado cultivation, an imbalance is produced that will cause growers to be harmed at some point,” explained Rafael Yus of Ecologists in Action.
A risk, because each piece of green gold needs 600 liters of water, which has caused many farmers to spend significant amounts of money for their performance. Although it is still profitable, which is why its production continues to increase, in the short term the water infrastructure of Spain could be on the verge of collapse due to this fever in a food that generates significant income, as well as benefits for human health.
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