00:00:02
Avocados - delicious, simple
and packed with nutrients.
00:00:11
They’re good for you. But are
they as good for the environment?
00:00:17
If people realized that poor
Chileans have to live without water
00:00:21
because of avocados,
00:00:22
then Europeans would have
to stop importing avocados.
00:00:29
Many Chileans are angry
because of water scarcity.
00:00:37
How’s it possible that
there’s enough water
00:00:39
for hundreds of hectares
of Avocado-monocultures,
00:00:43
when so many of the local
communities are lacking water?
00:00:49
Another fruit also
raises similar concerns.
00:00:55
There’s still enough
water to go around in Peru
00:00:58
— but blueberry plantations are
popping up at a staggering pace.
00:01:04
We need to plant more
and bigger blueberry fields
00:01:07
to reach the next level and be
more competitive with exports
00:01:10
and to become an
international player.
00:01:12
To do so, we need water
infrastructure projects.
00:01:18
Tunnels are being built to divert
glacial water for the plantations.
00:01:23
But resistance is also growing.
00:01:31
Everybody knows that
the privatization of water
00:01:34
has led to more
inequality in our country.
00:01:37
I still have hope that we will soon
have better, fair water legislation.
00:01:41
But as it is, water activists
keep receiving death threats.
00:02:11
Much of South America's
Pacific coast is bone dry.
00:02:16
But that hasn’t scared away
the countless plantations.
00:02:19
And north of Chile's capital, Santiago,
the main cash crop is the avocado.
00:02:26
It’s an important topic
for Rodrigo Mundaca.
00:02:30
He might not look like
your typical politician
00:02:32
in his green jacket and brown
leather bag. But looks can be deceiving.
00:02:37
Mundaca the governor of
this province, Valparaíso,
00:02:41
which has one of the
strongest economies in Chile.
00:02:49
Today’s meeting is all
about access to drinking water
00:02:52
for this community
in the Petorca region.
00:02:54
Water for residents here
has been rationed for years
00:02:58
with the flow limited
to a few hours a day.
00:03:01
As governor, Rodrigo wants to improve
the infrastructure for drinking water
00:03:05
to bring about change.
00:03:12
It’s important for residents to
organize and stand up for their rights,
00:03:16
and I’m here to support
this social movement
00:03:19
and help with the
transformation.
00:03:22
Those who have up until
now been among the powerless
00:03:25
and the have-nots are beginning to
take the reins in the administrations
00:03:29
and institutions for
the benefit of the poor.
00:03:36
Rodrigo spearheaded a social
movement for the right to water until 2021.
00:03:42
He has long known that there’s a
lack of clean drinking water in the region
00:03:46
— or that it has been contaminated
by wastewater from large corporations.
00:03:53
Our groundwater is undrinkable.
00:03:55
Some people don’t even
want to use it for washing.
00:03:58
But the water company keeps
charging high prices for it nonetheless,
00:04:01
as if it would
be perfectly fine.
00:04:06
Many residents are
becoming desperate.
00:04:11
Help us please! We are more than
150 families. Please do something.
00:04:22
Many residents depend on
water trucks for their survival.
00:04:28
Hopefully water will be
for the people in the future,
00:04:31
and not first and foremost for
the avocado growers and their ilk.
00:04:37
We currently have to use jars to wash
and then we recycle the wastewater
00:04:41
into tubs so that we have
something to water our gardens with.
00:04:49
It's not our first visit
to the Petorca region.
00:04:53
We met with a group including
Rodrigo Mundaca in 2017
00:04:57
in search of the avocado, a
super-food grown here on a large scale.
00:05:06
And which keeps causing water
shortages for many people in the region.
00:05:13
Yummy.
00:05:17
In Chile we eat avocados
for breakfast, lunch and dinner
00:05:20
and prepare it in a lot of
different ways. It’s a noble fruit.
00:05:26
And that’s what turned
it into the green gold.
00:05:32
The avocado has also become
trendy among foodies and chefs,
00:05:41
and it’s become popular on social media,
further increasing the global demand.
00:05:49
It’s a very versatile fruit.
00:05:51
But at the same time, it
stands for a bit of health.
00:05:55
It stands for almost
new-school food.
00:06:01
In 2017 we wanted to know:
00:06:04
How is the avocado boom affecting
people in the regions where it’s grown?
00:06:08
What price are they paying
for this rising global demand?
00:06:15
Ricardo Sangüesa is an
experienced small farmer in Petorca.
00:06:20
And this is his
irrigation canal.
00:06:26
Or what’s left of it.
00:06:30
Bone dry.
00:06:34
It was the source of Ricardo's
livelihood for decades.
00:06:39
The canal has been
out of water for six years.
00:06:43
We small farmers used it for irrigation.
But now it doesn’t exist anymore. Sadly.
00:06:53
The canal’s water used to come
from the adjacent La Ligua river.
00:07:03
As Ricardo walks through the
dried-up riverbed with Rodrigo Mundaca,
00:07:07
they reminisce about what it was
like when the river ran through here.
00:07:16
Before it became a garbage dump.
00:07:41
It hurts to see. It makes me
feel powerless and disillusioned.
00:07:45
I’m also angry at people
who don’t want to fight back.
00:07:48
We live in an
individualist society,
00:07:50
where people don’t care
about these kinds of problems
00:07:53
until the day they hit them in
the face. It really makes me sad.
00:08:00
For many years,
00:08:01
Rodrigo Mundaca was the leader
of the Modatima citizens' movement,
00:08:05
fighting to protect
drinking water.
00:08:09
I remember this river as a
place of fun and recreation.
00:08:13
We used to come down
here a lot in the summer.
00:08:15
It truly pains me to see it
like this. It makes me furious.
00:08:33
In Petorca many bridges
have lost their purpose.
00:08:39
But the water
hasn’t disappeared.
00:08:43
It’s been diverted to the
neighboring avocado plantations:
00:08:46
Where thousands of hectares
of the water-intensive fruit
00:08:49
are being grown for exportation
to more lucrative markets abroad.
00:09:02
Many people in the surrounding
area now have to get their water
00:09:05
from tanker trucks - at
the taxpayer's expense.
00:09:16
Even those who were
small farmers all their lives
00:09:19
- and had enough
water. Like Zoila Quiroz.
00:09:24
Only my cacti are still alive.
00:09:29
And those need
very little water.
00:09:32
Until a few years ago, Zoila's pride
and joy grew right behind her house.
00:09:42
Down there is where my avocado
trees used to be, about 300 of them.
00:09:46
But they all shriveled up.
00:09:50
I also had plums, apricots,
apples and loquats.
00:09:54
But there wasn’t a drop left to
water them with so they all perished.
00:10:04
My old well completely dried up.
00:10:07
Eventually everything
just got parched and died.
00:10:13
But a lush avocado orchard is
flourishing next to Zoila's property.
00:10:20
Rodrigo says a businessman bought
the expansive property to grow avocados.
00:10:29
The neighbor is too powerful. He
pumps the groundwater up from very deep.
00:10:37
There are at least 40-50
hectares of ripe avocados here.
00:10:41
Yes.
00:10:42
Countless kilos
ready to be picked.
00:10:47
He's already harvesting.
00:10:54
80 kilometers away - in the
neighboring province of Llay-Lay —
00:10:57
the verdict is still out in
another fight for water,
00:11:01
this time flowing
from a glacial spring.
00:11:08
Llay-Lay is home to the
Schmidt family’s fruit empire.
00:11:12
Here too, agriculture has
exploded since the early days
00:11:15
of the avocado boom in the 90s.
00:11:22
Refugees from Haiti
do most of the work
00:11:24
since the working conditions and
pay are unattractive to most Chileans.
00:11:32
Matías Schmidt personally
supervises the manual harvest.
00:11:36
He’s one of Chile's
largest avocado exporters.
00:11:45
How does he and his
marketing representative
00:11:47
see the water
shortage in Petorca?
00:11:55
Well, I don't know to what
extent people actually lack water.
00:11:59
But maybe the state should
build more plants to turn river water
00:12:02
into drinking water
for its residents.
00:12:07
But the business
owners also invest money
00:12:09
and want to take advantage of
the water rights they’ve bought.
00:12:12
So, it’s tricky...
00:12:19
But the producers are always concerned
about having enough water left over.
00:12:27
If only because they save money
by using as little water as possible
00:12:30
per plantation and per tree.
00:12:41
But saving water has its limits
too. The avocado is a thirsty fruit.
00:12:47
It takes up to a thousand liters
of water to grow a single kilo.
00:12:51
Eight times more than
what’s needed for potatoes.
00:12:58
Producers therefore have
to build big water basins
00:13:00
to meet the superfood's water
demand at the height of summer.
00:13:12
This is our pumping station. We use
it to pump groundwater up to the hills.
00:13:17
The highest slopes offer the
best climate for the avocados.
00:13:20
They grow bigger and
ripen faster up there.
00:13:23
But we have to spend a bit
more on electricity for the pumps.
00:13:32
Matías has to drill to
depths of up to 120 meters
00:13:35
to find enough groundwater
for the tropical fruit.
00:13:40
It’s a huge effort but necessary
for growing avocadoes
00:13:43
on such a grand
scale in this climate.
00:13:46
And he cultivation is now an
important pillar in the Chilean economy.
00:13:52
But critics complain that the water,
sorely needed for people in Chile,
00:13:56
is being shipped to Europe
in the form of avocados.
00:14:00
And in special
refrigerated containers,
00:14:03
creating an even bigger
ecological footprint.
00:14:07
And that’s not all of it.
00:14:11
Since customers are used to
finding avocados ready to eat
00:14:14
in the supermarket, the green,
unripe avocados are ripened
00:14:18
in huge temperature chambers,
where humidity and heat are simulated,
00:14:23
leaving nothing to chance.
00:14:34
The ripe avocados then end up in
kitchens like this one in Amsterdam.
00:14:41
The Avocado Show is one
of the world's first restaurants
00:14:44
fully dedicated to the
fruit it’s named after.
00:14:48
Here you’ll find carefully
designed and presented dishes
00:14:51
with avocado burgers,
salads and toasts.
00:14:58
Made for young consumers
who know exactly what they want.
00:15:07
We both are very
health conscious
00:15:08
and we know that avocados
are really good for you.
00:15:11
Well, I mean it’s filled with
healthy fats, which are good for you.
00:15:16
It tastes really good. It’s
got like a lime avocado on top
00:15:20
and there’s just avocados
through all of the pancakes.
00:15:23
Berries inside the
pancakes as well.
00:15:25
That’s really nice.
Really sweet, really nice.
00:15:29
But the drought
in Chile continues.
00:15:35
And although the Petorca
region has always been dry,
00:15:38
the recent extreme lack of
rain and glacial meltwater
00:15:41
led the government to declare a water
emergency during the summer months.
00:15:55
But the commercial avocado
production continues unabated.
00:16:02
And Rodrigo Mundaca, an
agricultural scientist by trade,
00:16:06
keeps fighting for the
people's right to drinking water.
00:16:16
When a river dries up, it throws
the whole ecosystem out of whack.
00:16:21
Without evaporation, clouds no
longer form and it rains even less.
00:16:31
It’s obvious that the water
cycle here has been disrupted
00:16:34
by the big avocado producers.
00:16:37
And this damage to the
ecosystem is completely irreversible.
00:16:48
Gone are the days when small
farmers grew beans, corn and potatoes.
00:16:53
Now avocado monocultures
dominate the landscape.
00:16:59
For many years,
Rodrigo and his comrades
00:17:01
fought against
this transformation.
00:17:07
Veronica Vilches heads a
nonprofit neighborhood cooperative.
00:17:11
She’s in charge of a well
that serves 1,000 residents,
00:17:14
located right next to one
of the large plantations.
00:17:21
Veronica complains that she
is constantly receiving threats
00:17:24
and accused of stealing water.
00:17:30
We face massive pressure,
also from the authorities.
00:17:35
We are threatened and
discriminated against.
00:17:38
Because we resisted when they
tried to force us to give our water
00:17:41
to a private company. But
our water is for the people,
00:17:47
for the community and the poor
people. That's what the law says.
00:17:56
The wastewater from the
bathroom and kitchen ends up here:
00:17:59
Water for the last
plants Veronica has left.
00:18:04
She used to make milk and cheese.
But now, the only thing that remains
00:18:08
are the lemons which she keeps
growing, almost as an act of defiance.
00:18:16
I have hope that one day
we will be better off after all.
00:18:20
That one day a politician, a president
of the republic who is not corrupt,
00:18:25
will change the Chilean
Constitution. That’s the real problem.
00:18:29
Water must be a common good
and should belong to everyone.
00:18:39
Rodrigo has never stopped
being public about his criticism.
00:18:49
A Chilean news report
shows him confronting officials
00:18:52
at one of the many
crisis summits.
00:19:03
Local residents complaining
about the lack of water
00:19:06
as well as the power of the avocado
producers have become a recurring event
00:19:10
in the summers, when
the drought is at its worst.
00:19:20
For years, they were few in numbers
and their roadblocks swiftly broken up
00:19:24
by the police.
00:19:25
Their cause received little
attention from the Chilean authorities
00:19:29
and Rodrigo was seen as
nothing but a troublemaker,
00:19:32
someone who was only out
to disrupt the avocado industry.
00:19:42
But that all changed in 2019,
00:19:45
when 1.5 million people
gathered in the capital, Santiago,
00:19:49
to protest for social justice
and the right to water.
00:19:53
It was Chile’s largest
demonstration in 30 years,
00:19:57
or since the end
of the dictatorship.
00:20:03
The police brutally
cracked down on protesters
00:20:06
who resisted in the beginning.
00:20:08
But the mass demonstrations
eventually altered Chile's political map.
00:20:16
The protests motivated many
ordinary citizens to seek political office
00:20:20
for the first time because they
wanted to address certain causes.
00:20:26
And probably one of
the most relevant causes
00:20:29
is the problem with the
privatization of water in Chile
00:20:32
and how to change that.
00:20:40
The protests sparked a process
of political reform in Chile,
00:20:44
in which activists like
Rodrigo also got involved.
00:20:48
A constitutional
convention was tasked
00:20:50
with writing a new
constitution for the country.
00:20:58
Several activists for the fundamental
right to water became elected officials.
00:21:03
Such as Ivanna Olivares.
00:21:08
She was completely ecstatic about
her unexpected election in 2021.
00:21:14
Ivanna campaigned heavily in
the weeks before the election,
00:21:18
hoping to play role in
replacing a constitution
00:21:20
that dates back to the
country’s military dictatorship.
00:21:28
We ordinary citizens are the best
people to write this new constitution,
00:21:32
because we know what day-to-day
life is really like in the Chile.
00:21:36
And we know that the state
doesn’t protect the rights
00:21:39
we should be guaranteed.
00:21:43
Like Rodrigo, Ivanna doesn’t think
Chile’s water should be privately owned.
00:21:47
She wants to abolish
the exclusive water rights
00:21:50
that have been handed
to big avocado farms.
00:21:54
She wants to dried-up riverbeds
next to lush green avocado groves
00:21:58
to become a thing of the past.
00:22:02
In light of the droughts
and climate crisis,
00:22:04
the new constitution must place
some limits on economic activities.
00:22:11
But it's not easy to abolish
private water rights overnight.
00:22:16
Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship
created a powerful agricultural industry
00:22:20
that grew accustomed to hoarding
any water for its own purposes.
00:22:30
Rodrigo and his comrades
told us back in 2017
00:22:33
that the water hasn’t
actually gone anywhere,
00:22:36
it’s just not available to the
people who need it the most.
00:22:41
The water is where the green gold is
grown. Courtesy of the Chilean state.
00:23:08
People need to understand that
the state is paying three quarters
00:23:12
of the costs of these basins. The
enterprise only pays one quarter.
00:23:17
The question is this: Why is
the state subsidizing contractors
00:23:21
to build these basins filled
with the same drinking water
00:23:25
that the people further
down lack for survival?
00:23:33
Rodrigo was awarded the International
Nuremberg Human Rights Award
00:23:36
in 2019 for his efforts.
00:23:39
And, as the jury noted, for his
remarkable courage in the fight
00:23:43
for the fundamental
right to water in Chile.
00:23:48
It was a kind of recognition he
had never before received in Chile.
00:23:55
Encouraged, he decided
to run for office in 2021.
00:24:02
And he surprised everyone by
decisively winning in the first round
00:24:06
to become governor
of the Valparaíso region.
00:24:12
His official residence is in the
historic port city of the same name
00:24:16
— Chile's gateway to the world.
00:24:20
Rodrigo is now considered the region's top
politician, with numerous duties.
00:24:28
But in centralized Chile, his
actual political power is often limited.
00:24:37
As governor, I am only the
coordinator of the regional government.
00:24:41
I have the power
to introduce bills
00:24:43
and I can speed up or
slow down certain projects.
00:24:47
I’ll also have to draft an
environmental policy for this region.
00:24:51
Because that
still doesn't exist.
00:24:57
Despite his landslide victory,
00:24:58
Rodrigo barely controls five
percent of the regional budget.
00:25:06
Without greater
budgetary control,
00:25:08
he has only a limited
ability to launch new projects.
00:25:11
Especially when it
comes to water rights.
00:25:19
It’s very frustrating.
00:25:21
I have no power as far as
water legislation is concerned.
00:25:25
Nor when it comes to
housing, health or education.
00:25:29
I also have no
say in agriculture.
00:25:33
I only have direct influence
over some aid funds.
00:25:41
He hasn’t yet been able
to initiate any real change
00:25:44
in the distribution of water.
And for the time being,
00:25:47
nothing will change in Petorca when
it comes to the cultivation of avocados.
00:25:55
A little further
north - in Peru —
00:25:57
the situation is similar —
but the superfood is different.
00:26:03
The affluent neighborhoods of Lima
are experiencing a blueberry boom.
00:26:09
There's even a
blueberry-themed restaurant,
00:26:11
catering to the constantly rising
demand for the round blue fruit.
00:26:15
Mostly in cakes and pies.
00:26:33
The new eatery’s signature
dish is the blueberry cheesecake.
00:26:38
Owner Sara Abu-Sabbah
says that the popularity
00:26:40
of her healthy blueberry recipes
surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:26:48
Not only does it taste delicious
and light, but it's also good for you.
00:26:55
Nowadays people are looking
for foods that improve their health,
00:27:01
not only to help
maintain their figure,
00:27:04
but also to stay healthy and
strengthen their defenses.
00:27:15
Blueberries allegedly
sate that appetite.
00:27:18
They’re cultivated in ever growing
numbers further north in the country.
00:27:23
Reyna Espinoza is benefitting
from the blueberry-boom.
00:27:27
The 41-year-old was
unemployed for a long time.
00:27:32
Now she hardly has
any time for her family
00:27:34
before she leaves for
work in the morning.
00:27:43
There's nowhere better to
work than in the blueberry fields.
00:27:46
They need workers every
week and the work isn’t that hard.
00:27:50
Plus, they pay well.
00:27:57
Reyna earns the equivalent
of 360 euros per month.
00:28:01
That's not a bad
income in Peru, she says.
00:28:06
The blueberry plantations
are filling the dust-filled desert.
00:28:10
They didn’t grow
here originally.
00:28:12
But because Europeans
want blueberries year-round,
00:28:14
the hillsides in Peru
are now full of them.
00:28:22
These fields were
created two years ago
00:28:25
and now 1500 seasonal workers come
to harvest the more than 3 million bushes.
00:28:33
They grow in plastic
bags filled with humus,
00:28:36
because nothing would
thrive in the arid desert soil.
00:28:42
It’s an artificially created
wonderland for blueberries,
00:28:46
where Reyna is the forewoman
responsible for the harvest’s quality.
00:28:56
You have to imagine
that until two years ago,
00:28:58
there was nothing but desert
and sand where we’re standing.
00:29:01
And today we’re now harvesting
tons and tons of blueberries.
00:29:04
It’s really amazing.
00:29:09
Blueberries are already
well known as a superfood:
00:29:12
Seedless and low in sugar but
rich in fruit acids and vitamins.
00:29:16
They’ve even been said
to reduce the risk of cancer.
00:29:21
And Peru has
risen out of nowhere
00:29:23
to become the world's
leading exporter of the berry.
00:29:28
The desert climate
is perfect for the fruit.
00:29:31
Farmers only have to keep an
eye out for butterflies and fungi.
00:29:36
As gently as possible,
the manager reassures us.
00:29:42
We only use pesticides that
have been approved both in Peru
00:29:46
and in the recipient country once
every other counter-measure has failed
00:29:51
and the insects or
disease don’t go away.
00:29:56
Unlike native
European blueberries,
00:29:58
Peruvian blueberries come
from highly potent hybrid plants,
00:30:02
which ensure even
bigger yields in the future.
00:30:08
The latest variety has
been named Matías.
00:30:12
It bears more and plumper
berries and its developers hope
00:30:15
European supermarkets
will soon be impressed.
00:30:22
This variety is in response to what
consumers are demanding and expect.
00:30:29
They want better quality:
Bigger, firmer berries
00:30:34
that can be refrigerated
for a longer time at home.
00:30:39
And it’s also a variety that
has a nice blue shine to it.
00:30:45
Blueberry consumption
is skyrocketing.
00:30:47
It's a good business -
and Peru wants in on it.
00:30:51
These berries are
beginning a 10,000 kilometer,
00:30:53
three week voyage aboard
a refrigerated ship to Europe,
00:30:57
where they’ll end up in fruit salads,
desserts and kindergarten snacks.
00:31:04
We only treat the berries with
officially approved chemicals
00:31:07
and adhere to the limits.
00:31:09
Clients also demand a
multiresidue analysis of our product
00:31:13
before it’s shipped.
00:31:16
The journey begins in
the port of Valparaiso.
00:31:19
In October and November,
the main destination is Germany.
00:31:23
Critics are concerned about
the carbon footprint of blueberries
00:31:26
shipped from South
America to Europe.
00:31:31
But it’s a lucrative
business model for Peru.
00:31:35
The hardest-working pickers
are rewarded with food baskets
00:31:38
with oil, rice and noodles.
00:31:43
Every week we rank the
best pickers. They get a bonus.
00:31:51
This is a public ceremony with
pictures. The workers like that.
00:31:57
The blueberry boom is also a blessing
for the people in the surrounding area,
00:32:02
as it brings many jobs and helps to
develop communities, says Paula Navarro.
00:32:12
The chicken farmer says the best
thing is that there are no more problems
00:32:16
with the water supply.
00:32:20
In the beginning we didn't
have drinking water here.
00:32:25
Then we talked to the
mayor, who supported us.
00:32:31
Now that we got the water,
all we need is a treatment plant
00:32:35
to make sure it’s clean.
That’s still missing.
00:32:40
There’s still enough meltwater in these
parts - for both blueberries and people.
00:32:45
But in a few years’ time, the
plantation will have tripled in size.
00:32:50
Dams are being built in the
Andes to meet the demand.
00:32:54
To divert glacier
water through tunnels.
00:32:57
Instead of flowing east
towards the Amazon
00:33:00
it will be directed
west to the Pacific,
00:33:03
where more and more
blueberry farms are sprouting.
00:33:06
We need to plant more
and bigger blueberry fields
00:33:09
to reach the next level and be
more competitive with exports
00:33:13
and to become an
international player.
00:33:15
And we need water
infrastructure projects for this.
00:33:24
Unlike Chile’s
avocado producers,
00:33:26
the blueberry producers in
Peru are just getting started.
00:33:30
And they’re thinking big.
00:33:38
Previous infrastructure
projects in Peru
00:33:40
have succeeded in diverting
Andean water away from the Atlantic
00:33:44
and towards the Pacific.
But we need more of those,
00:33:48
because we could produce four times
more blueberries than we currently do.
00:33:56
New plantations with millions of bushes
are being planned by sealing contracts
00:34:00
with local mayors from
the surrounding area.
00:34:03
All with the goal of boosting
blueberry exports as fast as possible.
00:34:14
We want to become a global
company and to share the profit
00:34:18
by working with local
farming communities.
00:34:22
We want to use genetic engineering
because this innovative technology
00:34:26
is a very powerful tool capable
of changing people’s lives.
00:34:31
That’s how we came
here to Chambara.
00:34:36
Mayor Juan Carlos Lopez
hopes the blueberry boom
00:34:39
will benefit his community.
00:34:46
Our association will benefit
greatly from this cooperation
00:34:49
by creating two to
three thousand jobs.
00:34:52
This will help the whole
community in general
00:34:55
and bring a lot of
economic activity.
00:34:58
It’s been a great pleasure
for us and a big achievement.
00:35:06
A blueberry plantation could usher in
a much needed economic reanaissance
00:35:10
in Juan Carlos’ poor community.
00:35:13
Things are supposed to
begin changing in a few months.
00:35:17
But so far nothing indicates that
soon millions of blueberry bushes
00:35:20
will grow in this rocky desert.
00:35:27
When the blueberries are
growing here it will be amazing
00:35:32
— like a dream come true
for our poor community.
00:35:40
He does have some concerns
about the water supply.
00:35:44
But the great hope for prosperity
outweighs any negative thoughts.
00:35:49
Thanks to the 3,000 new jobs.
00:35:54
I think there’s more
than enough water.
00:35:57
The only problem is pumping it the
14 kilometers from the river to here.
00:36:02
But with the help of modern
technology, I think it’ll be OK.
00:36:12
Peru has yet to feel the consequences
of water shortages due to monocultures,
00:36:17
unlike Chile, where the fight
for water has gone on for years.
00:36:22
Rodrigo wants to show us one
of the many illegal wells in Chile.
00:36:27
Above the avocado plantations,
00:36:29
a dirt road leads to a stream
that still hasn’t dried up.
00:36:41
Hurry up! Hurry!
00:36:52
A well appears
next to the stream.
00:36:58
This well leads to canals that
are connected to large basins
00:37:02
used to irrigate
the plantations.
00:37:07
This well is illegal. It
was built into the riverbed
00:37:10
and someone is illegally
appropriating the water.
00:37:28
Have you reported it?
00:37:29
Of course. Several times
00:37:31
And?
00:37:32
Nothing!
00:37:35
We need this water in
the village down the road.
00:37:39
Nobody checks it?
00:37:40
No. Nobody
00:37:43
It’s nothing new:
Profits over well-being.
00:37:48
When confronted, the
region's main producer claims
00:37:51
that avocado cultivation is not
to blame for the water shortage.
00:37:56
And that no court decision has
found any of the producers in Petorca
00:38:00
guilty of water theft.
00:38:03
But disputes over water
continue to flare up.
00:38:07
Especially in the
hot summer months.
00:38:16
In 2012 an aerial observation
of the La Ligua River
00:38:19
looked for subterranean channels
diverting water away from the river.
00:38:27
They found sixty-four channels
along the riverbed. Sixty-four!
00:38:34
That's why the river
is completely dry.
00:38:37
The underground water was
diverted by the avocado growers.
00:38:41
And that's why they
never lack water.
00:38:47
What do Europe’s major
avocado importers have to say?
00:38:51
In 2017, we looked for answers at
the world's largest fruit convention
00:38:55
in Berlin.
00:38:58
One major Dutch distributor
has already taken action.
00:39:03
You really need to
find the right partners
00:39:06
who are located
in the right spots.
00:39:09
So, from the Petorca region, we as a
company don’t source from that region.
00:39:14
Just because of the water
issues in that location.
00:39:26
Water is also the biggest concern
for avocado grower Matías Schmidt.
00:39:31
But he’s only worried about
whether or not his thirsty avocadoes
00:39:34
get enough to drink.
00:39:44
Sure: Water is the scarce
commodity. No doubt about it.
00:39:48
The government should
spend more money buying land
00:39:50
to make more space
for water basins.
00:39:58
One thing is certain: Matías'
water needs will drastically increase.
00:40:04
He has bought new fields and
has already ordered more seedlings.
00:40:09
600,000 new
avocado trees, no less.
00:40:13
And Matías believes the
boom is just getting started.
00:40:24
There’s a 30% increase in demand
annually. 30%! Year after year.
00:40:30
It doesn’t stop. And now
we’re waiting for China.
00:40:34
They are just beginning
to discover avocados,
00:40:36
and they're still
eating them unripe.
00:40:38
That's why we're financing
advertising campaigns
00:40:42
to show the Chinese how to eat
them, potentially a great market for us.
00:40:50
But while there’s a gold
rush for avocado farmers,
00:40:53
environmentalists are even
more worried than before.
00:40:58
And the battle for
water is far from over.
00:41:02
Activist Rodrigo Mundaca is doing
his best to enforce citizens’ rights
00:41:06
in his new role as a
representative of the state.
00:41:10
Even though he and his fellow
activists even receive death threats.
00:41:17
They know that the question of
whether water should be a public good
00:41:21
- or privately
owned, is a hot topic.
00:41:24
That it affects the economic
interests of very powerful circles.
00:41:31
Chile continues to be a country of
extraordinary inequality and impunity.
00:41:39
We can’t tolerate
the death threats
00:41:41
directed at women
fighting for human rights.
00:41:46
That’s why our
struggle continues,
00:41:48
both out in the streets and
here, on an institutional level.
00:41:55
But Rodrigo's struggle
isn’t just a local one.
00:41:58
As long as people in Europe
remain among the biggest consumers
00:42:01
of avocados and blueberries
00:42:04
— the superfoods from Chile
and Peru will come at a big price.
