US EditionMezcal's popularity is booming in the US. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico
Mezcal production in Oaxaca rose from 1 million to over 11 million liters since 2010, boosting local economies but causing deforestation, soil erosion, and water shortages.
- COMERCAM reports that production surged to over 11 million liters by 2024, with nearly all produced in Oaxaca and 75% of exports going to the United States.
- Driven by overseas demand and branding, Indigenous and local mezcal producers in Oaxaca, including Gladys Sánchez Garnica, have found the boom provides income and jobs that help families send children to university.
- Amid the boom, forests and farmland have been replaced by monocultures, with over 34,953 hectares lost and espadin plantations expanded by more than 400%, reducing carbon capture by 4 million tons annually, according to Rufino Sandoval-García.
- Securing projected status for 26,000 hectares, Tierra de Agaves and Guardians of Mezcal highlight slow approval and investigation of complaints by Mexico's Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.
- After Oaxaca's worst drought in more than a decade in 2024, Rufino Sandoval-García warns that mezcal production demands at least 10 liters of water per liter, which affects ecosystem recovery.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Yakima Herald-Republic
My Mother LodeMezcal producers in Oaxaca pose for photos while reflecting on economic impacts of the drink
Over the past decade, demand for mezcal has rapidly surged as international brands promoted its artisanal image. Mezcal comes from the agave plant, also known as maguey in Mexico. Much of it now leaves Oaxaca, which produces about 90% of…
America’s drinking habits are destroying Mexico’s environment: ‘It will take a long time for the ecosystem to recover’
Thirty years ago, a single light bulb would illuminate the mezcal distillery owned by Gladys Sánchez Garnica’s family in rural Oaxaca, where the agave-based spirit was made through the night. As drops dripped from a clay oven, Garnica and her siblings listened to stories told by their parents while neighbors arrived by horse to get a taste of a drink known for its smoky flavor. “We were taught when to harvest agave, how to care for the soil, and…
Mezcal's popularity is booming in the U.S. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico
Thirty years ago, a single light bulb would illuminate the mezcal distillery owned by Gladys Sanchez Garnica's family in rural Oaxaca, where the agave-based spirit was made through the night. As drops dripped from a clay oven, Garnica and her siblings listened to stories told by their parents while neighbors arrived by horse to get a taste of a drink known for its smoky flavor.
Associated Press News
Mezcal's popularity is booming in the US. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico
Production of mezcal in Mexico is booming. That is to meet growing demand of the increasingly popular spirit in the United States.
SAN PEDRO TOTOLAPAM- 30 years ago a single bulb lit up the mezcal distillery of Gladys Sánchez Garnica's family in a rural area of Oaxaca where agave distillate was made throughout the night. As the drops slowly fell from a mud oven, Garnica and her brothers listened to their parents tell stories, while the neighbors came on horseback to taste the drink known for its smoked flavor.
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