Are Avocados, Cacao and Coffee Truly Vegan or Do They Contribute to Exploitation?
- The Young Vegan
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Avocado toast and a rich cup of coffee sound like the perfect breakfast. A chocolate bar as a snack later? Lovely. Or is it? Can these foods truly be called vegan when their production often involves complex social and environmental issues?
Veganism is about avoiding the exploitation, primarily of animals, but what about the people and ecosystems behind these items? Just as with animal agriculture, we need to look at where our food comes from. How are avocados, cacao, and coffee grown, who grows them, and does their production align with vegan values?
How Are Avocados, Cacao, and Coffee Grown?
Avocados, cacao, and coffee all thrive in tropical or subtropical climates, often in countries with developing economies. Their cultivation involves farming practices that affect the environment and local communities, particularly when a food becomes popular, and investment means that resources are diverted from local farmers, residents, and the land, to grow one crop on a huge scale.
Avocado: Avocados are mainly grown in Mexico, where over 2.9 million metric tons of avocados were grown in 2023. After this, Colombia and the Dominican Republic are the next largest growers. Growing this fruit on this scale demands a lot of land. In Mexico, over 253,000 hectares of land were dedicated to growing avocados in 2023, and this has only increased since. Avocado trees also require a lot of water. Per 100 kilocalories, avocados require 738.48 litres of water, which is more than cow's milk, bacon or eggs. Large-scale avocado farming can lead to deforestation and water and food shortages, especially in regions already facing environmental stress as resources are reallocated.
Cacao: More than 70% of the raw material for chocolate, cacao is grown in Africa, mainly the Ivory Coast. Cacao trees flourish under the shade of rainforest canopies, but expanding cacao farms have contributed to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. This expansion has only increased as climate change has made growing cacao trees harder, leading to more deforestation. Also, as popular as cocoa is, many farmers growing cacao trees live in poverty, as they are paid extremely poor wages for what is often the only job in the region.
Coffee: Coffee plants grow in the "coffee belt" around the equator, including countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. Coffee farming ranges from small family farms to large plantations, but in many situations, coffee beans are exported from the country of origin to be roasted and processed elsewhere, leading to producers making very little money from the product. Shade-grown coffee supports biodiversity, but sun-grown coffee often leads to forest clearing. This, along with the impact that climate change is having on coffee growing, is causing increasing concern.
Who Grows These Foods and How Are They Treated?
Millions of smallholder farmers and labourers cultivate avocados, cacao, and coffee, with many of these workers facing difficult conditions:
Low wages: Farmers and labourers often earn less than a living wage, making it hard to support their families.
Child labour: In cacao production, especially in West Africa, child labour remains a serious problem despite efforts to reduce it. In West Africa, it has been found that more than 1.5 million children between the ages of 11 and 17 have been working on cacao farms.
Unsafe working conditions: Exposure to pesticides and a lack of protective gear can harm workers’ health. This leads to increased rates of cancer, as well as high rates of muscle and joint pain resulting from the hard, manual work
Lack of bargaining power: Small farmers frequently depend on middlemen and have little control over prices. The amount of profit made increases with each stage of the process, meaning that growers earn the least, while those who sell the final product gain the most.
These issues raise questions about whether these foods can be considered truly vegan if veganism means avoiding exploitation in all forms.
So, Are Avocados, Cacao and Coffee Truly Vegan?
The core of veganism is to avoid causing harm and exploitation. While avocados, cacao, and coffee do not involve animal products, their production can involve human exploitation and environmental damage. This creates a moral dilemma for many vegans.
Environmental impact: Deforestation for avocado orchards or cacao farms destroys habitats and contributes to climate change. Excessive land and water use leave local people unable to produce their own food.
Social injustice: Poor labour conditions and unfair trade practices exploit vulnerable communities.
Because of these factors, some argue that these foods challenge the ethical boundaries of veganism. However, others believe that with conscious choices, vegans can support more ethical production methods.
What Can Vegans Do to Buy More Ethical Foods?
Vegans who want to avoid contributing to exploitation can take several steps to make better choices:
Look for certifications: Labels like Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and B Corp indicate efforts to improve social and environmental standards. These certifications often ensure fair wages, better working conditions, and sustainable farming.
Support direct trade and cooperatives: Buying from cooperatives or brands that work directly with farmers can reduce middlemen and increase farmers’ income.
Choose shade-grown coffee and organic cacao: These farming methods protect biodiversity and reduce chemical use.
Buy local and seasonal when possible: Although avocados and cacao are mostly imported, supporting local plant-based foods reduces environmental impact.
Research brands: Some companies prioritise ethical sourcing and transparency. Reading about their practices helps make informed decisions.
Advocate for change: Supporting policies and organisations that promote fair trade and sustainable agriculture can create long-term improvements.
So, are avocados, cacao, and coffee truly vegan? They can be. We are all limited by our options; we may have the will to buy organic, fair-trade avocados, but be unable to find any. It may be the cost that prohibits us from buying these products. In these cases, it comes down to personal choice. Do you buy the occasional avocado, not eat them at all, or only eat them when they are a part of a vegan meal when eating out? Do you continue to buy them, as, in some way, this supports the people and countries that grow them? There is no right answer, as what is required is systemic change. Exploitation, in all forms, needs to end. But always remember, being vegan isn't about being perfect. There is no such thing as the perfect vegan, all we need to do is out best. Make informed choices and aim to live in a way that causes the least harm.
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