The Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico (APEAM) is celebrating a full decade of groundbreaking support of the environment and social growth in Michoacán. Over the last 10 years, APEAM has cultivated 2.6 million pine trees in Michoacán and invested more than $3 million in the academic infrastructure of local schools.

This is an important milestone for APEAM, whose Green Agenda framework is built on the promise of increasing sustainability efforts in the Mexican avocado industry while helping the socioeconomical prosperity of Michoacán communities. The Green Agenda is an internal technical report with a general diagnosis of the environmental situation of the avocado-producing region, and the areas of opportunity to improve the sustainable production of avocados, including reforestation and forest conservation.

The sustainable strategies outlined within the Green Agenda are officially aligned with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and are designed to reinforce APEAM’s commitment to the care of the environment.

A Decade of Reforestation

To combat the global tragedy of deforestation, APEAM launched its reforestation initiative in 2011 to restore the natural biodiversity of Michoacán. At the program’s 10-year anniversary, APEAM has reforested 1,800 hectares of Michoacán with 2.6 million pine trees of various species native to the area.

The survival rate of these trees stands at an impressive 85%. This rate is made possible by cultivating saplings in nurseries before moving them in the wild, where they are selectively planted with elevation and location in mind.

A Decade of Educational Support

This year also marks 10 years of partnership between APEAM and the Lazos Foundation, a nonprofit that has been helping to transform some of the Mexico’s most under-resourced public schools for 25 years. The two organizations have worked together since 2011 to the benefit of more than 6,000 children at 23 schools across 15 municipalities in Michoacán.

Over the past decade, APEAM has committed nearly $3 million to the Lazos Foundation, including $500,000 in school supplies that have kept students in school while enabling new students to enroll. The contributions have been evident in Michoacán: The state’s average rate of student enrollment is only

The financial support provided by APEAM has also made the opening of five new educational facilities across the state possible, and has equipped educators and parents with the tools and knowledge needed to promote their students’ success.

Click here to learn more about APEAM and its sustainable efforts.