The boom in demand for avocados has led to deforestation in Mexico and water scarcity in Chile, and although they’re transported by sea – a fairly low carbon method of travel – avocados are delicate and easy to bruise, hardly making them the most practical or eco-friendly crop out there.
Experts in the field of sustainable agriculture say it’s not necessarily that avocados are inherently bad for the planet. The problem is that Westerners have ‘made avocados a staple food, when they should be a luxury.’
When well-managed, avocado plantations can be sustainable and unproblematic – just ask Oprah, she has one in her backyard and thinks that’s completely normal. Unfortunately, we can’t all be Oprah, and must trudge to local supermarkets to seek out these far-imported goods.
On the bright side, it looks like there is a greener solution on the horizon.
Aiming to help lovers of the fruit reduce their environmental footprint while still getting their fill, Arine Shokouhi, a graduate student at Central Saint Martin’s, has developed a new avocado alternative called Ecovado.
Made from a combination of ingredients local to the country where it is produced and wrapped in skin made from wax, the Ecovado looks and feels exactly like a real avocado – but with a far smaller environmental footprint.
Shokouhi worked with Jack Wallman, a food scientist from the University of Nottingham’s Food Innovation Centre, to identify the chemical and molecular composition of avocados.
This research was vital for creating a product that could mimic the look, feel, and taste of the real thing. ‘The flavour of avocado is quite subtle, and, overall, is most often described as creamy,’ Shokouhi said.
Developing approximate flavours and textures that could be made from be natural, local, and low-impact ingredients was a huge hurdle. For example, olive oil may have seemed like a no-brainer for the recipe, but it is typically imported from other areas, which is why Shokouhi opted for UK-grown rapeseed oil.
The soft inside of Ecovado’s are made up of a careful ratio of broad beans (to moderate bitterness), creamed hazelnuts (for a fatty, nutty flavour), and apples (for added texture and slight sweetness).
Its waxy outer skin is darkened with food-colouring and is almost identical in appearance to real avocados. It is both biodegradable and compostable, and can even be upcycled into a candle – great news for the Etsy crew.
And is it really an avocado without a giant stone in the middle? Of course not, so the Ecovado comes with a walnut, chestnut, or hazelnut at its centre, which can also be consumed once removed.
We don’t need to cut out avocados completely and maybe we shouldn’t, as they’re a great source of healthy fats, potassium, and other essential vitamins C, E, K & B6.
However, if you find yourself unable to fight off your daily avocado craving, switching them out for a more sustainable alternative from time to time won’t hurt. And why not when all-natural, eco-friendly alternatives to our favourite foods are coming onto the market every day?
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