FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 7, 2024 – Washington, D.C. – Organic Consumers Association and Richman Law & Policy filed a complaint against Mission Produce on November 6, 2024, in the District of Columbia Superior Court. The complaint alleges that Mission Produce, in violation of the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act, uses deceptive “sustainability” claims to market its avocados, stating that they “minimize its global footprint, promote ethical supply chains, and cultivate a better future for generations to come.” It misleads consumers by claiming that its “sustainable crop production” uses “water resources effectively and efficiently” to “prevent water waste and help conserve water for future generations,” when, in reality, Mission sources its avocados from orchards installed on deforested land and uses practices that are environmentally destructive, specifically contributing to deforestation, climate change, natural habitat and biodiversity loss, and extreme water scarcity for local communities. 

Mission Produce claims to adhere to a three-pillared “sustainability” framework ”From People to Product to Planet.” It advertises its “Environmental Stewardship,” its “40 Years of Commitment to a More Sustainable Future,” and its practice of “growing high-quality avocados sustainably.” 

Despite these assurances, Mexican government shipping records show that in 2022 Mission Produce sourced 68,830 kilograms of avocados from four orchards installed on deforested land in Michoacán after 2015. The complaint contains before-and-after images of the deforested land Mission Produce is sourcing avocados from, according to Mexican government records.

Mexican law requires a federal permit to convert forests to agricultural uses. Government records indicate that no such permits have been issued in Michoacán for at least two decades. In this regard, Mission’s avocado sourcing, in addition to being unsustainable, appears to be illegal.

Avocado orchards accounted for about one-fifth of the deforestation in Michoacán and neighboring Jalisco between 2001 and 2017. This illegal deforestation is impacting the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Pine-Oak Forests ecoregion. Most famous for being the winter nesting grounds of the monarch butterfly, it is also home to rare birds, amphibians and reptiles, as well as 50 percent of Mexico’s unique mammal species.

In February of this year, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar expressed concern about the proliferation of avocado orchards on illegally deforested land during a visit to Michoacán, stating that Mexican avocado exporters “shouldn’t have the opportunity to sell those avocados to the United States market.”

Whether legal or illegal, the conversion of natural forests to avocado plantations for Mission Produce releases greenhouse gasses, reduces carbon storage, threatens biodiversity and drains aquifers. Marketing its avocado business as an example of “environmental stewardship” is misleading.

Organic Consumers Association and Richman Law & Policy are fighting to end this type of deceptive marketing directed at D.C. consumers.

Calavo avocados are sold throughout the country including in Washington, D.C.

To view the complaint, follow this link.

ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

Organic Consumers Association is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, and Finland, MN. OCA addresses crucial issues around food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children’s health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade and environmental sustainability. OCA reaches more than two million people each week via email and social media.

ABOUT RICHMAN LAW & POLICY

Richman Law & Policy is the leading law firm representing consumers and nonprofit organizations in legal advocacy challenging deceptive marketing claims regarding the “greenwashing” and “humanewashing” of animal products. Using consumer protection statutes and other legal tools, Richman Law & Policy has successfully brought numerous actions against companies and operations that deceive consumers about their alleged sustainability and animal care practices.

Media Contact: 

Alexis Baden-Mayer

alexis@organicconsumers.org

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