Hofstra University
Model United Nations Conference 2025
Contemporary Crisis Committee
Thomas Eldho, Chair
Anoop Krishnadas, Crisis Director
Dear Delegates,
I hope you are all well! My name is Thomas Eld.ho, and I am a junior pre-medical studies major from Long Island in Hofstra's eight-year direct medical program. This is my seventh year of involvement in Model UN, and I anticipate listening to intense and riveting debate as the chair for the Contemporary Crisis Committee on the lucrative and exploitative avocado trade.
In high school, I was the secretary and eventually the president for my Model UN club. Throughout my four years in this club, I attended conferences at Brown, Cornell, and Harvard University. Although I have participated in a variety of committees from SPECPOL to futuristic general assemblies, the UNEP holds a special place in my heart as it was the committee that I received my first "best delegate" award back in 2020. I am thrilled to bring my experience from previous committees to offer a unique perspective as a chair for this committee.
In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, working out, and watching television. As of now I am currently watching White Collar, but I am always accepting recommendations. On the movie side, I cannot think of a better watch than Good Will Hunting. However, I must apologize and must come clean that I have not watched any of the Star Wars movies in their entirety. If you can still consider me as your chair after that confession, please feel free to reach out to me with show and movie recommendations.
For this crisis committee, I chose this topic as a way for all of us to further educate ourselves on the nuances of a popular "superfood." Unless you are allergic, almost all of us in some capacity have consumed avocados whether it was on toast or with our favorite tortilla chips. I implore all delegates to provide innovative and conscientious solutions to strike at the core of the inequalities present within this trade.
Although our actions in committee will not directly shape the outcomes of the avocado trade today, your participation will serve as preparation for a better understanding of the issues and steps that can be taken in the future, perhaps with you leading the way. I look forward to meeting all of you this coming spring!
Sincerely,
Thomas Eldho Contemporary Crisis Chair HUMUNC 2025
Dear Delegates,
Glad you could make it to HUMUNC 2025! For some context on me, I am a senior computer science major at Hofstra University. I graduate in May 2025, so this is the last HUMUNC I'll be participating in. I was your Undersecretary General last year, but for my last year I wanted to chair a crisis, so I am co-chairing the Contemporary Crisis. I'm looking forward to hearing the unique and innovative solutions that you will debate in our Contemporary Crisis Committee on the Avocado Trade in Mexico.
My Model UN experience started in high school, where I joined the school team and got to attend annual trips to Brown, Cornell, and Harvard University. As a delegate, I was always assigned to the specialized committees, having small sized committees with my favorite aspects of GA and Crisis. I got the chance to experience structured debate with formally written summative resolutions while also occasionally having to deal with infrequent crisis updates. In this committee, where the topic is so modem and relevant, I hope to see realistic and exciting plans to deal with the overarching topic, while letting your creativity take hold as you combat the crisis updates as they appear.
Some of my favorite hobbies are playing basketball, chess, and video games. I will also gladly take movie recommendations if you have any. Sci-fi and romcoms are my go-to, but I appreciate a great story above all else. I'm also currently watching Ted Lasso, but don't spoil it, I'm only on season 1. In terms of games, I've been enjoying Civilization VI, but I am definitely terrible at it.
This committee will focus on the nuances beneath the avocado trade, focusing on how the trade of one of our favorite fruits affects the lives of Mexican farmers, the economy of North American, and the quality of the environment.
While we are taking a small step back in time with the committee, I want you all to be looking forward. History is what we learn from, and global crises such as the Avocado Trade are not infrequent. Lay your plans in the spring but let them advise you beyond this conference. I hope to see you all at HUMUNC 2025!
Best Regards,
Anoop Krishnadas Welcome Letter Contemporary Crisis Director
Introduction to the Committee
The year is 2015, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is entering its 21year of existence. NAFTA revolutionized trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States by creating a free-trade zone between these countries. Since going into effect on January 1, 1994, NAFTA immediately reduced tariffs between the member states, allowing for a greater exchange of goods among North American countries. 1
In the first two decades ofNAFTA, the agreement's member states saw advantageous reductions in the price of groceries, imported oil, and an overall rise in the manufacturing
sector.2 Within just two years of its introduction, trade of goods between the United States, Canada, and Mexico increased forty-four percent to $420 billion. With most barriers to trade removed across NorthAmerica, employment not only grew, but also shifted into more efficient sectors.3 More than 2.2 million U.S. jobs were supported by goods exported to NAFTA countries in 2015, suggesting a shift into sectors benefiting from increased trade.4
In practice, NAFTA also improved the diplomatic relations between North American leaders, as there were mutual benefits to unity in trade. However, NAFTA also brought about disadvantages. While overall there was an increase in jobs throughout North America, the United States saw a loss in manufacturing jobs, as they shifted towards Mexico. Enabled by the benefits of the free trade area, the manufacturing sector within the United States shifted production and jobs to more cost effective and efficient regions, like Mexico. 5
How would these diplomatic relationships, employment trends, and environmental factors influence trade over time among NAFTA member states? To explore the effect of these
issues and others on free trade, this committee will specifically deal with the ramifications of NAFTA as it relates to the avocado trade. The major participants of this committee will be representatives from Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Alongside the political leaders of these respective countries, inputs from trade officials and business leaders within these nations will also be integral to resolve the issue at hand.
History of the Topic
Avocado (Persea americana), also known as an Alligator Pear, is thought to originate in Puebla, in modem-day South-Central Mexico. For the Indigenous civilizations ofMesoamerica, the avocado not only represented a source of nourishment, but also held mythological powers; the Aztecs believed whosoever consumed the fruit would be provided with strength. 6 The first avocado plants made their way into the United States during the nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century, the avocado had become a cash crop for the state of California. "Today, California is the leading producer of domestic avocados and home to about 90 percent of the nation's crop."7
Figure 1: The Underlying Costs of the Avocado Business8
However, the benefits of the avocado carry with them a story of an industry touting a history of environmental degradation, abuse, and corruption. For example, in regard to environmental considerations, fruits like tomatoes and oranges require five and twenty-two liters of water to grow, respectively, while one avocado requires approximately 320 liters of water. The intense
water requirement results in extensive environmental degradation as the need for avocado exports only continues to grow. ® Greater regulations may be required of regions where avocados are grown in order to balance profit with environmental concerns.
Figure 2: Comparative Water Usage for Growth of Fruits in California"
How Thirsty Are These Fruits and Veggies?
The amount of r ri gated water in ga ons, that it takes to grow a pound of the fo ow ng in California
Created with D atawrapper
Source: Mekonmen anu Hoessis, 2010. Get the data
Abuse and corruption are also widespread within the avocado trade due to the profits obtained from the valuable cash crop. In the Mexican state of Michoacan, a cornerstone of the avocado production, eighty percent of avocado orchards were produced illegally through unsanctioned land use and enabled by public official bribery and corruption. ®
The Current Topic
Mexico's stake in avocado production has many internal conflicts. Mexican avocados, so revered that they are referred to as "Green Gold", are a rising commodity at the time of this committee. Mexico exported 1.4 billion lbs. of avocados to the U.S. in 2015. " While the
Mexican exports were growing, Mexican avocado farmers were facing a myriad of issues: maintaining production and export quality while meeting quotas and agreements reached with cartels in the area, such as Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) and the Knights Templar, which conduct illegal deforestation to clear land, as well as extort farmers. " The Mexican bloc will focus on establishing trade relations that help avoid the exploitation of Mexican farmers by both the large corporations and the cartel. " There will also be a focus on implementing legislation to protect the Mexican environment and to deal with limited water resources, as avocado farming puts a strain on the amount of available water. "
Canada imported approximately 140 million lbs. of avocados in 2015 and was on a steady rise since 2008. 17 The Canadian perspective is that NAFTA's free trade clause is incredibly beneficial, as Canada lacks the climate conditions and economies of scale that the U.S. and Mexico possess to compete with their agricultural capacity. 18 For this reason, Canada wants any negotiations to maintain the free trade clause ofNAFTA to keep their farmers competitive in the market. This means the Canadian bloc will seek to maintain or improve their economic standing throughout the negotiations while also representing their concern for Mexican farm safety for both employees and practices. They will also seek more leniency in the case of a renegotiation of the terms ofNAFTA, as they have historically found that environmental protection policies were the source of most investor-related lawsuits faced by the govemment. 19
Figure 3: The rise in avocado imports into the United States in the years following NAFTA. 20
How much of America's avocados are imported
85 percent of avocados eaten in the Un ted States are grown elsewhere.
Source: Has$voc&do Ba#a
The United States is also a major consumer of Mexican avocados, as in 2015 they imported roughly six times as much as they produced. This trend in consumption vastly differs from the past, where in 1990, avocado imports were less than a quarter of the production rate. 21 Due to the free trade agreement, mass-produced Mexican avocados can be purchased at a cheaper price than those that are home grown. While this benefits the consumer, this means that American farmers in California and other places are being outcompeted by a foreign market. The United States Bloc will want to focus on keeping their own farmers competitive through a renegotiation or amendment ofNAFTA.
Alongside the individual nations involved in NAFTA, it is important to mention the role of Mexican drug cartels in the avocado trade, including CJNG, Nueva Familia Michoacana,
Tepalcatepec Cartel, and the Zicurian Cartel. ° The lucrative fruit attracts drug cartels and their use of extortion, child labor, illegal land-clearing, and violent confrontations with farmers to enable them to seize control over profits generated by the trade. In Mexico's avocado hub of Michoacan, for example, the cartels have embedded themselves so deeply within the community that some locals even believe that the cartel provides better protection and services than the Mexican government."
However, on the other side of cartel involvement, farmers that choose not to associate with the criminal organizations suffer threats and damage to their businesses. One such practice employed by cartels is to try to collect rent as a protection fee from the farmers. * Who are the farmers being protected from? The other cartels! Through this blatant form of extortion, the cartels have ingrained themselves into the avocado industry and reaped benefits straight from the hands of avocado farmers.
Understanding the dynamic behind these major powers in the issue of the Mexican Avocado Trade is essential to developing your own plans and character arcs. What is your bloc's position? Where do you fall among the other members in your bloc? What powers do you have to achieve your goals? Who can you work with to achieve your nation's goals?
Positions
Below are Positions, separated by Bloc, that delegates to this committee will represent. Delegates are encouraged to learn more about their assigned positions, as well as the nations and agencies they represent, through the associated links and their own research.
Mexico: [Some of the links below may require a Google Translate extension on your browser to translate the pages to English.]
1. Enrique Pena Nieto - President of Mexico, responsible for overseeing the country's economic policies and managing international trade agreements, including NAFTA.
Link: https ://www.britannica.com/biography/Enrique-Pena-Nieto
2. Ildefonso Guajardo - Secretary of Economy, tasked with negotiating trade agreements such as NAFTA and addressing disputes affecting Mexico's economic interests.
Link: https://www.gob.mx/se
3. Enrique Martinez y Martinez - Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA), focusing on agricultural exports like avocados and ensuring compliance with international trade standards.
Link: https://www.gob.mx/sader
4. Luis Videgaray - Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, pivotal in managing Mexico's economic stability and funding programs tied to trade facilitation.
Link: https://www.gob.mx/shcp
5. Eduardo Medina Mora - Mexican Ambassador to the United States, acting as a critical liaison between the two nations to resolve trade disputes and promote bilateral trade.
Link: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/eduardo-medina-mora-icaza
6. Francisco de Rosenzweig - Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, key in negotiating and enforcing Mexico's foreign trade policies within the NAFT A framework.
Link: https ://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/francisco-de-rosenzweig
7. Juan Pablo Castanon - President of COPARMEX, organization representing Mexican businesses and advocating for private sector interests in international trade agreements.
Link: https://www.coparmex.org.mx
8. Silvano Aureoles - Governor of Michoacan, the leading avocado-producing state, playing a vital role in promoting avocado exports and addressing trade barriers affecting local farmers.
Link: https://michoacan.gob.mx
United States:
1. Barack Obama - President of the United States, overseeing U.S. economic policies and foreign relations, including the implementation and reform ofNAFTA.
Link: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
2. John Kerry - Secretary of State, responsible for U.S. foreign policy, including diplomatic relations with Mexico and Canada regarding trade agreements.
Link: https://2009-2017 .state.gov
3. Penny Pritzker - Secretary of Commerce, advocating for U.S. business interests and addressing trade issues impacting U.S. industries.
Link: https://www.commerce.gov
4. Tom Vilsack - Secretary of Agriculture, focusing on U.S. agricultural exports and ensuring trade policies support farmers and rural communities.
Link: https://www.usda.gov
5. Michael Froman - U.S. Trade Representative, leading negotiations and resolving trade disputes under NAFTA to support U.S. economic interests.
Link: https ://ustr.gov
6. Anthony Wayne - U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, representing U.S. diplomatic and economic interests in Mexico, including trade relations and cooperation under NAFTA.
Link: https://mx.usembassy.gov
7. Gina McCarthy - Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), involved in addressing environmental standards and their impact on agricultural trade.
Link: https://www.epa.gov
8. Ron Kirk - Former U.S. Trade Representative, consulting on North American trade policy and providing expertise on NAFTA's structure and revisions.
Link: https ://ustr.gov/about-us/former-ustrs/ron-kirk
Canada:
1. Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada, responsible for overseeing Canada's role in NAFTA and promoting Canadian trade interests in North America.
Link: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Harper
2. Ed Fast - Minister oflntemational Trade, representing Canada in trade negotiations and ensuring Canadian industries benefit from NAFTA agreements.
Link: https ://www .international.gc .ca
3. Gerry Ritz - Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, focused on Canadian agricultural exports and addressing trade barriers affecting Canadian farmers.
Link: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en
4. Rob Nicholson - Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for managing Canada's diplomatic relationships and trade negotiations with the U.S. and Mexico.
Link: http s ://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/foreign-affairs.html
5. Perrin Beatty - President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, advocating for Canadian business interests in trade agreements like NAFTA.
Link: https://chamber.ca
6. Andrew Scheer - Speaker of the House of Commons, facilitating discussions and legislative decisions related to Canada's trade policies.
Link: https://www.ourcommons.ca
7. Christine Hogan - Deputy Minister of International Trade, assisting in the administration of Canada's trade policies and agreements under NAFTA.
Link: https ://www.international.gc .ca
8. Pierre Alarie - Canada's Ambassador to Mexico, representing Canadian diplomatic and economic interests in Mexico, including trade relations and cooperation under NAFTA
Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2015/03/ministers-nicholson-fastannounce-canada-new-ambassador-mexico.html
Questions to Consider
1. What is the role of the individual NAFTA members in maintaining equitable trade practices in relation to the avocado industry?
2. Should Mexico be solely responsible for curtailing the influence of cartels on the avocado industry or should its NAFTA partners play a role?
3. How should NAFTA partners consider water usage and other environmental concerns in any agreement on the avocado trade?
4. How should NAFTA members weigh the legal rights, employment, and safety of the avocado farmers, transporters, and sellers in future agreements?
Endnotes
1 U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "North American Free Trade Agreement U.S. Customs and Border Protection." Www.cbp.gov 26 Sept. 2022. www.cbp.gov/trade/north-american-freetrade-agreement.
2 Floyd, David. "NAFTA's Winners and Losers." Investopedia, 24 Jan. 2023, www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/north-american-free-trade-agreement.asp .
3 University Libraries. "THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT." Unt.edu, 2019, https://www.library.unt.edu/gpo/oca/nafta.htm
4 Statista. "Topic: North American Free Trade Agreement." Www.statista.com, Statista, 2017, http : //www . statista.com/topics/34 64/north-american-free-trade-agreement/ .
5 Floyd, David. "NAFTA's Winners and Losers." Investopedia, 24 Jan. 2023, www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/north-american-free-trade-agreement.asp .
6 Avocados From Mexico. "Avocado History I Avocados from Mexico." Avocados from Mexico, 2019, http://www.avocadosfrommexico.com/avocados/history/ .
7 California Avocado Commission. "The History of the Avocados in California." California Avocados, 23 July 2020, http://www.californiaavocado.com/avocado101/the-history-ofcalifornia-avocados/ .
8 "The Avocados of Wrath." Grain.org, http://www.grain.org/en/article/6985-the-avocados-ofwrath .
9 Holman, Tayla. "Health Benefits of Eating Avocado." HCA Houston Healthcare, 3 July 2024, http://www.hcahoustonhealthcare.com/healthy-living/blog/health-benefits-of-eating-avocado .
�
� Voller, Louise. "How Much Water Does It Take to Grow an Avocado? - Danwatch." Danwatch, 19 Mar. 2017, https://www.danwatch.dk/en/how-much-water-does-it-take-to-growan-avocado/ .
" Philpott, Tom. "It Takes HOW Much Water to Grow an Avocado?!" Mother Jones. Published October 1, 2014. https ://www.motherjones.com/food/2014/10/avocado-drought-chile-california/
� � Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. "Mexico's Avocado Boom and Organized Crime." Global Initiative, 5 Jan. 2024, https ://www.globalinitiative.net/analysis/mexicos-avocado-boom-and-organized-crime/
� � Linden, Tom. "Jalisco Could Soon Be Shipping to the U.S." From the Grove. Spring 2015, https://www.californiaavocadogrowers.com/sites/default/files/2015-Spring-From-theGrove 0.pdf. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
" Climate Rights International. "Unholy Guacamole: Deforestation, Water Capture, and Violence behind Mexico's Avocado Exports to the U.S. And Other Major Markets." Climate Rights International, https://cri.org/reports/unholy-guacamole/ . s "The Avocado Industry Thrives on Exploitation of Mexico." Pipe Dream, 2022, www.bupipedream.com/opinions/the-avocado-industry-thrives-on-exploitation-of-mexico /126816/ . Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.
1 "Avocado Farms Dry up Water Resources in Mexico." Earth Island Journal, http s ://www.earthisland.org/j ourna l/index . php/articles/ entry/avocado-farms-water-resources-
mexico-agroforestry-medicinal-plants/ .
� � "Fresh Avocados Import Volume Canada 2019." Statista, http ://www.statista.com/statistics/45 3463/fresh-avocado-import-volume-canada/ .
'* Mintz, Corey. "How NAFTA Changed the Way We Eat the Walrus." The Walrus, 6 Sept. 2018, https://thewalrus.ca/how-nafta-changed-the-way-we-eat/
° Macdonald, Laura. "Canada and NAFTA the Canadian Encyclopedia." Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, 29 Mar. 2017, http s ://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta .
° July 2016, Anne Kim 22. "Avocado Trade in the US." Hinrich Foundation, 1 Feb. 2018, http s ://www . hinrichfoundation.com/research/tradevistas/ftas/nafta-avocado-trade/ .
" U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Avocado Imports Play a Significant Role in Meeting Growing U.S. Demand." https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chartdetail/? chartid=83 3 96
� Henkin, Samuel. "Tracking Cartels Infographic Series: The Pits: Violence in Michoacan over Control of Avocado Trade START.umd.edu." Www.start.umd.edu , https://www.start.umd.edu/tracking-cartels-infographic-series-pits-violence-michoac-n-overcontrol-avocado-trade
�
� Worldwide, Infortal. "Mexican Drug Cartels and the Avocado Industry." Infortal, 7 Feb. 2024, http://www.infortal.com/mexican-drug-cartels-and-the-avocado-industry/ .
�
� Henkin, Samuel. "Tracking Cartels Infographic Series: The Pits: Violence in Michoacan over Control of Avocado Trade START.umd.edu." Www.start.umd.edu , https ://www. start.umd.edu/tracking-cartels-infographic-series-pits-violence-michoac-n-overcontrol-avocado-trade .