STPS Meets Michoacan Avocado Producers to Enhance Labor Practices

Federal and state authorities met with representatives from the avocado industry in Michoacan to address challenges in labor formalization and social security coverage. The dialogue brought together producers, packing facilities, and cutting companies to discuss strategies across the sector’s value chain.

“Formalization in the avocado sector is a priority that requires solutions adapted to the productive characteristics of Michoacan,” says Alejandro Salafranca, Head of the Unit for Dignified Work, STPS. The meeting aimed to identify structural obstacles and opportunities to ensure workers have access to social security and decent working conditions.

The avocado industry faces multiple challenges that affect employment continuity. Seasonal production creates fluctuations in labor demand, while the highly perishable nature of the fruit requires fast and efficient harvesting and packing processes. High turnover rates, especially in specialized roles such as cutting, add to the complexity. The sector also includes a large number of diverse producers, requiring coordinated efforts throughout the supply chain.

Packing facilities play a strategic role as intermediaries between producers and international markets, ensuring Michoacan avocados meet quality standards and reach their destinations on time. Officials say that producers, cutting companies, and packing facilities have a shared responsibility in promoting labor formalization, which would ensure that all participants involved in harvesting, transportation, and preparation have social security and labor rights.

Authorities are committed to collaborating with the avocado sector to build mechanisms that strengthen formalization, enhance productivity, and guarantee that export growth aligns with improved worker conditions. The STPS says that ongoing dialogue is part of a broader strategy to establish durable agreements among all stakeholders, aiming for sustainable labor practices across the industry.

Michoacan’s avocado sector, a significant driver of regional economic activity, continues to be central to Mexico’s agricultural exports. Authorities say that efforts to formalize labor are intended to balance sector growth with social protections, creating a framework where both productivity and worker welfare are supported.