The complainant, whose name has not been disclosed, argues that Mexico does not adequately enforce its environmental laws on forest protection and water supply with respect to the disturbance caused by avocado plantations in Michoacán, the state that is the main producer of the fruit in the country.
The complaint, filed on February 2 before the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CCA), affirms that between 1976 and 2005 between 25% and 35% of the forests disappeared in some areas of Michoacán and indicates negative impacts on the quality of the water.
Mexico’s agriculture and economy ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The CCA reported in a statement last week that it would review the claim within 30 days and determine if it falls within the articles of the USMCA.
Mexican avocados were in the spotlight again last year, when the United States briefly halted shipments of the product from Michoacán after a US official received threats.
The United States imported 3,000 million dollars (mdd) in avocados worldwide in 2021, of which most, 2,800 million dollars, came from the Latin American country, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, for its acronym in English).
With information from Reuters
