{"id":1880015,"date":"2026-04-13T05:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T02:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1880015"},"modified":"2026-04-13T05:00:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T02:00:48","slug":"mezcal-is-a-way-of-life-for-mexican-communities-but-its-popularity-is-costing-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1880015","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Mezcal is a way of life\u2019 for Mexican communities \u2013 but its popularity is costing the earth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/70\/07\/51\/1200x675_cmsv2_9d3730f6-65d3-509f-a11d-3578b2755d23-9700751.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2885121-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2885121\" data-cid=\"9716923\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885121-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/69\/23\/189x106_cmsv2_a975bf8c-575f-56e4-a239-9e4294913574-9716923.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Claude Monet's &quot;les iles de port villez&quot; 1883 and &quot;Vetheuil, effet du matin&quot; 1901\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Art<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Two Monet paintings unseen for a century to be auctioned in France\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885214-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2885214\" data-cid=\"9719535\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885214-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/74\/94\/189x106_cmsv2_9df6c1d3-8e37-5e1e-8920-02706330fa07-9717494.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in the Federal Chancellery, Berlin, 9 April 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Germany<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Germany&#8217;s Merz world&#8217;s most unpopular head of government, poll shows\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885717-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2885717\" data-cid=\"9719566\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885717-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/95\/66\/189x106_cmsv2_49ef5fdd-8bb3-5a89-846f-d60e74bff1ef-9719566.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. 13 April 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Markets<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Oil tops $100 as Iran blockade looms, forint surges on Hungary results\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885721-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2885721\" data-cid=\"9719570\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885721-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/95\/70\/189x106_cmsv2_d4962981-1864-5483-a27f-684b97daf8ad-9719570.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Former President of the European Council, Charles Michel\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Magyar victory will bring more &#8216;European unity&#8217;, Michel says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885121-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2885121\" data-cid=\"9716923\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885121-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/69\/23\/189x106_cmsv2_a975bf8c-575f-56e4-a239-9e4294913574-9716923.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Claude Monet's &quot;les iles de port villez&quot; 1883 and &quot;Vetheuil, effet du matin&quot; 1901\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Art<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Two Monet paintings unseen for a century to be auctioned in France\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885214-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2885214\" data-cid=\"9719535\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885214-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/74\/94\/189x106_cmsv2_9df6c1d3-8e37-5e1e-8920-02706330fa07-9717494.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in the Federal Chancellery, Berlin, 9 April 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Germany<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Germany&#8217;s Merz world&#8217;s most unpopular head of government, poll shows\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885717-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2885717\" data-cid=\"9719566\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885717-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/95\/66\/189x106_cmsv2_49ef5fdd-8bb3-5a89-846f-d60e74bff1ef-9719566.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. 13 April 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Markets<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Oil tops $100 as Iran blockade looms, forint surges on Hungary results\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885721-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2885721\" data-cid=\"9719570\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885721-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/95\/70\/189x106_cmsv2_d4962981-1864-5483-a27f-684b97daf8ad-9719570.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Former President of the European Council, Charles Michel\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Magyar victory will bring more &#8216;European unity&#8217;, Michel says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Earth<\/p>\n<p>                          Earth News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            \u2018Mezcal is a way of life\u2019 for Mexican communities \u2013 but its popularity is costing the earth<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative u-max-width-1280 u-margin-x-auto\" data-video='{\"id\":\"xa3g4jy\",\"articleId\":2881736,\"title\":\"u2018Mezcal is a way of lifeu2019 for Mexican communities u2013 but its popularity is costing the earth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/40\/17\/49\/02\/SHD_PYR_4017492_20260327125743.mp4\",\"programId\":\"earth-news\",\"player\":\"dailymotion\",\"geoBlock\":[\"\"],\"sources\":[],\"description\":\"Mezcal production in Mexico has gone from about 1 million litres in 2010 to more than 11 million in 2024.\",\"isLive\":false,\"articleUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/video\/2026\/04\/13\/mezcal-is-a-way-of-life-for-mexican-communities-but-its-popularity-is-costing-the-earth\",\"duration\":123680}' data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/70\/07\/51\/1536x864_cmsv2_9d3730f6-65d3-509f-a11d-3578b2755d23-9700751.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Mezcal's booming popularity comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Mezcal&#8217;s booming popularity comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">Euronews with AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright\">\n      Copyright\u00a0Euronews with AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspAngela Symons&amp;nbspwith&amp;nbsp<b>AP<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1776056448\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-04-13 07:00:48 +02:00\">13\/04\/2026 &#8211; 7:00 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center 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loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content__embed_container u-display-none\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content__embed__tooltip\"><br \/>\n                            Copy\/paste the article video embed link below:<br \/>\n                        <\/span><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content__embed u-display-flex\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-copy-to-clipboard.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Copy to clipboard\" class=\"u-cursor-pointer js-c-article-partage-commentaire-copy\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content__embed--success-copied u-display-none js-c-article-partage-commentaire-video-embed-success-link-copied\"><br \/>\n                                Copied<br \/>\n                            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Mezcal production in Mexico has gone from about 1 million litres in 2010 to more than 11 million in 2024.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content c-article-content--earth js-article-content\">\n<p>Thirty years ago, a single light bulb would illuminate the mezcal distillery owned by Gladys S\u00e1nchez Garnica&#8217;s family in rural Oaxaca, where the agave-based spirit was made through the night. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As drops dripped from a clay oven, Garnica and her siblings listened to stories told by their parents while neighbours arrived by <strong>horse<\/strong> to get a taste of a drink known for its smoky flavour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were taught when to harvest <strong>agave<\/strong>, how to care for the soil, and how much we could ask of the forest,\u201d says Garnica, 33, speaking from a women-owned distillery in San Pedro Totolapam, a town of just over 3,000 residents in Mexico&#8217;s Oaxacan Central Valleys, where much of the economy depends on mezcal.<\/p>\n<p>Today, that small-scale tradition exists alongside a global boom that has transformed mezcal into a major industry dominated by international brands. <\/p>\n<h2>Mezcal&#8217;s growing environmental cost<\/h2>\n<p>As mezcal has spread to bars around the world, so has its footprint on the land. Along the road to communities like San Luis del Rio, where celebrity brands such as Dos Hombres, created by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul from the hit series <strong>Breaking Bad<\/strong>, are made, agave plantations now blanket hillsides that were once forest. While the boom has brought economic benefits for many local producers, it&#8217;s also led to rising environmental costs.<\/p>\n<p>Production in Mexico has gone from about 1 million litres in 2010 to more than 11 million in 2024, according to COMERCAM, the country\u2019s mezcal regulatory body. Nearly all is produced in Oaxaca, but less than 30 per cent remains in Mexico. About 75 per cent of exports go to the <strong>United States<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Europe has been hit with \u20ac1.2 trillion of damages thanks to decades of US emissions, study finds<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">\u2018Reckless\u2019: Trump seeks Endangered Species Act exemption for oil, gas projects in Gulf of Mexico<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>In two major mezcal producing areas of Oaxaca, more than 34,953 hectares of tropical dry and pine oak forests have been lost in 27 years to make room for agave, an area roughly equivalent to the size of the Belarusian capital Minsk, according to a study led by Rufino Sandoval-Garc\u00eda, a professor at the Technological University of the Central Valley of Oaxaca.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that agave plantations in the two areas have expanded by over 400 per cent the past three decades, increasingly replacing <strong>forests<\/strong> and farmland with a species of agave known as espadin, used in most commercial mezcal.<\/p>\n<p>That is accelerating soil erosion, reducing by 4 million tonnes per year the amount of carbon dioxide captured by <strong>forests<\/strong>, limiting the land\u2019s ability to recharge groundwater and creating heat islands in heavily planted areas, according to the study.<\/p>\n<p>One litre of mezcal can require at least 10 litres of water for fermentation and distillation, and generates waste such as bagasse and vinazas, acidic residues often dumped untreated into rivers. Large quantities of firewood are also burned to roast agave pineapples and fuel distillation, much of which comes from illegal logging, according to Sandoval-Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n<h2>Water is a growing concern<\/h2>\n<p>For generations, the environmental impacts of the spirit remained limited by its small scale and the ability of surrounding forests and <strong>soils<\/strong> to recover. That balance is now fragile.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Water<\/strong> is an increasing concern across Oaxaca, which experienced its worst drought in more than a decade in 2024, according to Mexico\u2019s National Water Commission.<\/p>\n<p>While major companies highlight sustainability commitments, their third-party contracts with distilleries are typically limited to purchasing mezcal in bulk. Producers say those agreements rarely cover the costs of raw materials, workers\u2019 wages or maintenance of their distilleries.<\/p>\n<p>Del Maguey, one of the world\u2019s top-selling mezcal brands, says they are working to reduce their environmental footprint by <strong>planting trees<\/strong>. Over the past five years, the company reused more than 5,000 tonnes of bagasse and 2 million litres of vinaza to build a raised platform at a distillery in San Luis del Rio to prevent flooding and contamination, according to its head of sustainability, Gabriel Bonfanti.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">\u2018Nobel Prize of Water\u2019 awarded to Iranian scientist who was exiled from his homeland<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Mezcal income is a lifeline for communities<\/h2>\n<p>For many, the boom has been a lifeline in a region with some of the highest poverty rates in Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Luis Cruz Velasco, a producer from San Luis del Rio who works with Mexican brands like Bruxo, said the growth has created jobs for nearly every family in his town of about 300 residents. Where previous generations lived in thatched houses, mezcal income has helped his siblings to attend university.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many people who criticise us for what we do to the forest, and yes, we know it affects it,\u201d Velasco said. \u201cBut we have to look for a livelihood and food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Velasco, the problem is not the entry of large brands, which he says have done more than the government to support marginalised areas like his, but the lack of public incentives for <strong>farmers<\/strong> to safeguard environments by planting native trees or maintaining traditional farming systems.<\/p>\n<h2>Bureaucracy fuels illegal land clearing for mezcal production<\/h2>\n<p>In Oaxaca, much land is communally owned and managed through local systems of self-governance. Converting forest into agave plantations requires federal approval from Mexico\u2019s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.<\/p>\n<p>The permitting process is so slow and bureaucratic that some communities choose to bypass it, said Helena Iturribarria from Tierra de Agaves, a conservation project to reforest parts of Oaxaca\u2019s valleys and promote sustainable agave production.<\/p>\n<p>The Secretary of Environment said in a statement it had not received requests for forest clearing for agave cultivation in the past three years in Oaxaca. The agency also said it was investigating nine public complaints filed since 2021 over illegal land clearing for mezcal production.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Garnica founded a collective of women called the Guardians of Mezcal. The group is promoting mezcal produced by women using <strong>sustainable practices<\/strong>, including using only fallen trees for firewood and planting agave alongside other crops.<\/p>\n<p>With help from Tierra de Agaves, Guardians of Mezcal and local community officials from Santa Maria Zoquitlan secured projected status for 26,000 hectares of forest surrounding the town.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMezcal is a way of life, like a form of work that our parents taught us, so it really means a lot,\u201d Garnica said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-contributors c-article-contributors-supplementary u-margin-top-2 u-padding-top-2\">\n<p>Video editor<strong> \u2022 Denis Loctier<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<p>                          Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-partage-commentaire-share\"><span>Share<\/span><\/span><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__container\">\n<article id=\"abe-2884320-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2884320\" data-cid=\"9714678\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2884320-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/28\/50\/480x270_cmsv2_fd978172-fd55-56fb-99f5-b8ba4e526542-9712850.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt='Volta\" machine in a commercial establishment' height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div 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content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2884881-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/57\/16\/320x180_cmsv2_26a7e4b8-107c-5c09-8cb9-ba299679576a-9715716.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Mont Blanc is visible in background with the Feyzin oil refinery, near Lyon, central France, Nov. 7, 2022. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    France is turning its back on fossil fuels \u2013 with a \u20ac240m plan<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885183-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885183\" data-cid=\"9717400\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885183-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/74\/00\/320x180_cmsv2_821efc2a-1fec-5da5-a2e8-b3c1c4cb4588-9717400.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Queen bees can breathe underwater, allowing them to stay alive over winter as melting snow floods their burrows.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Queen bees survive winter by their ability to breathe underwater<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885259-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885259\" data-cid=\"9717751\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885259-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/77\/51\/320x180_cmsv2_7bb36e17-671c-59c8-a4e1-ad18e2bbbae6-9717751.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The primary drivers are shrinking sea ice and warming oceans driven by climate change. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals are now endangered<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885131-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885131\" data-cid=\"9716982\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2885131-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/69\/82\/320x180_cmsv2_d9bfe1d6-0d8a-5726-a0dd-213d0fb53b6e-9716982.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\" A couple walk at the salt lake during sunset in southeast coastal city of Larnaca in southeast Mediterranean island of Cyprus, on Sept. 5, 2022.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Europe hit with second-warmest March on record after February floods<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2884320-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2884320\" data-cid=\"9714678\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2884320-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/71\/28\/50\/320x180_cmsv2_fd978172-fd55-56fb-99f5-b8ba4e526542-9712850.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt='Volta\" machine in a commercial establishment' height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Portugal introduces refund scheme for recycled bottles and cans<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885441-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885441\" data-cid=\"9718446\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    How many birds die from wind turbines? Surprising findings<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2884881-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2884881\" data-cid=\"9715716\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    France is turning its back on fossil fuels \u2013 with a \u20ac240m plan<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885183-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885183\" data-cid=\"9717400\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Queen bees survive winter by their ability to breathe underwater<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2885259-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2885259\" data-cid=\"9717751\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals are now endangered<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2484824-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2484824\" data-cid=\"8260152\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Dangerous wild animal living next door? Check on this new UK map<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Thirty years ago, a single light bulb would illuminate the mezcal distillery owned by Gladys S\u00e1nchez Garnica&#8217;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 neighbours arrived by horse to get a taste of a drink known for its smoky flavour.\u201cWe were taught when to harvest agave, how to care for the soil, and how much we could ask of the forest,\u201d says Garnica, 33, speaking from a women-owned distillery in San Pedro Totolapam, a town of just over 3,000 residents in Mexico&#8217;s Oaxacan Central Valleys, where much of the economy depends on mezcal.Today, that small-scale tradition exists alongside a global boom that has transformed mezcal into a major industry dominated by international brands.Mezcal&#8217;s growing environmental costAs mezcal has spread to bars around the world, so has its footprint on the land. Along the road to communities like San Luis del Rio, where celebrity brands such as Dos Hombres, created by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul from the hit series Breaking Bad, are made, agave plantations now blanket hillsides that were once forest. While the boom has brought economic benefits for many local producers, it&#8217;s also led to rising environmental costs.Production in Mexico has gone from about 1 million litres in 2010 to more than 11 million in 2024, according to COMERCAM, the country\u2019s mezcal regulatory body. Nearly all is produced in Oaxaca, but less than 30 per cent remains in Mexico. About 75 per cent of exports go to the United States.In two major mezcal producing areas of Oaxaca, more than 34,953 hectares of tropical dry and pine oak forests have been lost in 27 years to make room for agave, an area roughly equivalent to the size of the Belarusian capital Minsk, according to a study led by Rufino Sandoval-Garc\u00eda, a professor at the Technological University of the Central Valley of Oaxaca.The study found that agave plantations in the two areas have expanded by over 400 per cent the past three decades, increasingly replacing forests and farmland with a species of agave known as espadin, used in most commercial mezcal.That is accelerating soil erosion, reducing by 4 million tonnes per year the amount of carbon dioxide captured by forests, limiting the land\u2019s ability to recharge groundwater and creating heat islands in heavily planted areas, according to the study.One litre of mezcal can require at least 10 litres of water for fermentation and distillation, and generates waste such as bagasse and vinazas, acidic residues often dumped untreated into rivers. Large quantities of firewood are also burned to roast agave pineapples and fuel distillation, much of which comes from illegal logging, according to Sandoval-Garc\u00eda.Water is a growing concernFor generations, the environmental impacts of the spirit remained limited by its small scale and the ability of surrounding forests and soils to recover. That balance is now fragile.Water is an increasing concern across Oaxaca, which experienced its worst drought in more than a decade in 2024, according to Mexico\u2019s National Water Commission.While major companies highlight sustainability commitments, their third-party contracts with distilleries are typically limited to purchasing mezcal in bulk. Producers say those agreements rarely cover the costs of raw materials, workers\u2019 wages or maintenance of their distilleries.Del Maguey, one of the world\u2019s top-selling mezcal brands, says they are working to reduce their environmental footprint by planting trees. Over the past five years, the company reused more than 5,000 tonnes of bagasse and 2 million litres of vinaza to build a raised platform at a distillery in San Luis del Rio to prevent flooding and contamination, according to its head of sustainability, Gabriel Bonfanti.Mezcal income is a lifeline for communitiesFor many, the boom has been a lifeline in a region with some of the highest poverty rates in Mexico.Luis Cruz Velasco, a producer from San Luis del Rio who works with Mexican brands like Bruxo, said the growth has created jobs for nearly every family in his town of about 300 residents. Where previous generations lived in thatched houses, mezcal income has helped his siblings to attend university.\u201cThere are many people who criticise us for what we do to the forest, and yes, we know it affects it,\u201d Velasco said. \u201cBut we have to look for a livelihood and food.\u201dFor Velasco, the problem is not the entry of large brands, which he says have done more than the government to support marginalised areas like his, but the lack of public incentives for farmers to safeguard environments by planting native trees or maintaining traditional farming systems.Bureaucracy fuels illegal land clearing for mezcal productionIn Oaxaca, much land is communally owned and managed through local systems of self-governance. Converting forest into agave plantations requires federal approval from Mexico\u2019s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.The permitting process is so slow and bureaucratic that some communities choose to bypass it, said Helena Iturribarria from Tierra de Agaves, a conservation project to reforest parts of Oaxaca\u2019s valleys and promote sustainable agave production.The Secretary of Environment said in a statement it had not received requests for forest clearing for agave cultivation in the past three years in Oaxaca. The agency also said it was investigating nine public complaints filed since 2021 over illegal land clearing for mezcal production.In 2018, Garnica founded a collective of women called the Guardians of Mezcal. The group is promoting mezcal produced by women using sustainable practices, including using only fallen trees for firewood and planting agave alongside other crops.With help from Tierra de Agaves, Guardians of Mezcal and local community officials from Santa Maria Zoquitlan secured projected status for 26,000 hectares of forest surrounding the town.\u201cMezcal is a way of life, like a form of work that our parents taught us, so it really means a lot,\u201d Garnica said.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/04\/13\/mezcal-is-a-way-of-life-for-mexican-communities-but-its-popularity-is-costing-the-earth&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/70\/07\/51\/1200x675_cmsv2_9d3730f6-65d3-509f-a11d-3578b2755d23-9700751.jpg&#8221;] Art Two Monet paintings unseen for a century to be auctioned in France Germany Germany&#8217;s Merz world&#8217;s most unpopular head of government, poll shows Markets Oil tops $100 as Iran blockade looms, forint surges on Hungary results Europe Today Magyar victory will bring more &#8216;European unity&#8217;, Michel says Art Two Monet paintings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-1880015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1880015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1880015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1880015\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1880015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1880015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1880015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}