U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar told producers in Michoacán, Mexico, the country's largest avocado-producing state, on Monday that the United States will not import fruit grown on illegal plantations that contribute to deforestation. 

In a joint press conference with Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez, Salazar said measures are underway to address hundreds of illegal avocado farms identified in the state.

“People behind these more than 800 illegal orchards should not have the opportunity to sell these avocados in the U.S. market,” Salazar said.

This is the first time these orchards have been identified by authorities, the ambassador said. The U.S., Mexican, and Michoacán agencies are now working on protocol to thwart future export efforts of the illegally farmed produce.

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“This should have a consequence and that is that the protocol for exporting Mexican avocados to the U.S. will soon include a clause with direct reference to the Forest Guardian,” Governor Ramírez said, referring to a state program to protect Michoacan’s forests. “This will be based on the traceability of the product from the orchard to the packaging house, and until it reaches sale points in the United States.”

Over the past four years, Mexico has supplied 88% of fresh avocado imports to the U.S. and in 2023 alone, the United States imported nearly 2.48 billion pounds of Mexican avocados, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Due to the state’s rich volcanic soil, Michoacán is the only place in the world where avocado trees bloom four times a year. 

The high global demand for avocado, however, has encouraged the proliferation of illegal groves, with many growers refusing to formalize their operations. According to Mexico’s Forest Guardian data, unregulated avocado planting has also led to environmental damage, with roughly 74,130 acres deforested between 2018 and 2023.

The USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have worked with Michoacán in the past to resolve avocado import issues. In February 2022, the state’s avocado exports were temporarily banned following a threat made to an APHIS plant inspector.

Imports were resumed a week later, after APHIS established additional safety measures with Mexican authorities.