Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:

The Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to protect forest ecosystems and water quality from the adverse environmental impacts of avocado production in Michoacán, Mexico.

In submission SEM-23-002 (Avocado Production in Michoacán), the Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to protect forests and water resources in Michoacán from environmental impacts and deforestation caused by the continued expansion of avocado plantations. In particular, the Submitter claims that Mexico is failing to uphold provisions of the Mexican Constitution and various federal laws focused on environmental impact assessment, forestry conservation, sustainable development, water quality, climate change and environmental protection.

The Submitter maintains that forests play an important role in providing wildlife habitat, supporting biodiversity, mitigating climate change, conserving soil, filtering water, and recharging aquifers, among other contributions. The Submitter underscores the remarkable growth of the avocado industry in Michoacán in recent decades, positioning it as the main exporter of avocados in the world, most of which are exported to the United States. The Submitter acknowledges that not all avocado producers have the same type and degree of environmental impacts but asserts that research has shown that the majority of avocado production in Michoacán generates high levels of environmental impacts and that deforestation rates in Michoacán for avocado plantations are among the highest in Mexico and Latin America.

Names and citations of the environmental laws in question:

The Submitter cites the Mexican Constitution, the General Law of Sustainable Forestry Development (Ley General de Desarrollo Forestal Sustentable); the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente); National Water Law (Ley de Aguas Nationales); Sustainable Rural Development Law (Ley de Desarrollo Rural Sustentable); General Law of Wildlife (Ley General de Vida Silvestre) and the General Climate Change Law (Ley General de Cambio Climático).

Submitter(s):

Name withheld pursuant to Article 16(1)(a) of the ECA