The avocado market with focus on Colombian production and its potential export to Italy

The global avocado market has experienced a considerable increase not only in demand but also in the production due to the rising popularity of healthy eating habits and the adoption of avocados into the several cuisines around the world. Mexico has been the most important producer and exporter throughout the decades due to the essential fact that it is where avocados were born, being United States not only its most important importer but also the worldwide largest consumer. However, Colombia has been emerging as one of the most important avocado producers in the recent years thanks to its unique geographical and climatic conditions and the effort of the government, investors, and producers, becoming a crucial part of the avocado market. A huge consumption boom currently taking place in Italy in the last years, experiencing the highest percentage increase in avocado consumption in the European context despite Italians are recognized for eating traditional fruits and vegetables as before. Likewise, it is expected that the avocado market rises in the following years in terms of exportations, importations, production, and consumption due to its emerging popularity, nutritional facts, and the efforts of each stakeholder, implying that the cultivation of avocado trees passes from a simplified agriculture to a monoculture, affecting the environmental conditions. Therefore, it is important to analyze the avocado market as an overview in order to identify key improvements points and potential trends focused on Colombia/Italy context which could be exploited based on the preservation of the sustainability.