The Association of Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexico (APEAM) has formalized a Zero Deforestation Agreement with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), establishing a framework to ensure export-bound avocados meet environmental standards increasingly required in global markets.
The agreement creates a voluntary self-regulation system for avocado exports that is designed to verify compliance with Mexican environmental law while strengthening traceability and transparency across the supply chain. This builds on a Mexican federal requirement published in October 2025 mandating zero deforestation for agricultural exports and is a big milestone for the Mexican avocado industry’s sustainability commitment, which includes APEAM and the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), as part of the industry’s Path to Sustainability.
Under this framework, APEAM will serve as a coordinating governance body, overseeing implementation of a bilateral operational work plan that covers orchards, packing facilities, inspections, traceability and logistics for hass avocado exports to the U.S. In coordination with SEMARNAT and PROFEPA, the model introduces clear mechanisms to:
- Identify orchards with potential environmental risk.
- Support producers in meeting legal compliance requirements.
- Require remediation or compensation measures when applicable.
Government agencies will retain full oversight and enforcement authority. The agreement is intended to provide greater assurance of supply chain compliance, reduce regulatory and reputational risk and support continued access to Mexican avocados under evolving environmental standards.
During the signing, Mexico Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra said the agreement reflects closer coordination between government and industry to meet environmental obligations, while advancing trade and APEAM’s leadership in sustainability initiatives. APEAM says the framework will translate environmental requirements into verifiable and measurable actions, reinforcing the sector’s ability to meet international expectations.
“The agreement marks an important day for the industry and for the country,” says Raúl Martínez Pulido, president of APEAM. “Export avocado production to the United States only has a future if it is compatible with protecting our forests. The deal is not a symbolic gesture or a short-term response, but the natural evolution of a model built over nearly three decades on clear rules and shared responsibility. There is no competitiveness without legality, and no sustainable trade without environmental responsibility.”
The agreement reaffirms APEAM’s commitment to working alongside government authorities and commercial partners and is expected to strengthen regulatory certainty for producers and exporters while supporting long-term access to premium markets.
Mexico supplies more than 85% of avocados to the U.S., making the industry — represented by APEAM in Mexico and MHAIA in the U.S. — a critical component of the U.S. fresh produce market.
