Guatemala needs to foment wider production of avocados, a crop that is ignored despite its enormous potential, Cristian Smith, president of the Comité del Aguacate (Spanish for avocado), told Tierramérica. This Central American country exports 4,500 tons of avocado each year, “but the paradox is that it also imports around that amount annually,” the agro-industrialist said.

With support from Agexpront, an association of non-traditional product exporters, the committee is encouraging the diversification of uses of the avocado, for such things as cooking oil, facial creams, soaps and animal feed.

Avocado oil, for example, “is as competitive as olive oil, for being rich in non-saturated fats and vitamin E, low acidity and high content of phytosterol, a component similar to lanolin, used in the cosmetics industry,” said Smith.