Sustainability of the community model of avocado production in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Michoacán, México

Abstract The avocado is a commodity crop that has generated severe environmental and social impacts in Michoacán, the world’s leading producer. Current studies overlook the diversity of avocado production by focusing on Michocán’s central region, while the regions of a more recent expansion remain poorly studied. We analyzed the model of avocado production in five indigenous communities in the municipality of Zitácuaro that have part of their territory within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. We use the Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems using Sustainability Indicators to characterize and evaluate the sustainability of the Community Model of Avocado Production (CMAP). Based on 42 interviews with producers, we identified eleven critical points related to environmental (small-scale production; forest conservation; high prophylactic use of agrochemicals; high dependence on irrigation), economic (high crop diversity; low profitability; high yield loss to pests; low economic diversification), and social (high dependence on technical advisors; low dependence on labor force external to the community; few changes in land ownership) aspects of sustainability. The CMAP has productive and socio-political characteristics that represent strengths and weaknesses for its sustainability. The main environmental results suggest that the avocado expansion (2007–2022) in the communities did not involve a change in forest land use. Socially, the CMAP favors the local workforce and facilitates the maintenance of land ownership. The sustainability of CMAP is mostly limited by its economic aspects. With adequate economic support for socially and environmentally sustainable productive practices, the CMAP can improve the local livelihoods while promoting forest conservation.