“As the only Rainforest Alliance-certified avocado grower-shipper in Mexico, we seek to inspire fellow growers that these efforts can be seen as investments in the future,” Cavaletto added.

Internally, he said the Fair-Trade structure reinforces employee engagement and leadership development.

“Leadership development is an important characteristic of GLC Cerritos’ values,” he said. “Fair Trade allows a mechanism in which the committee members are democratically elected by their coworkers.”

To support retail adoption, the company also launched its “What is your 2¢?” campaign.

“We ran a campaign called ‘What is your 2¢?’ which sought to give retailers the confidence to implement a Fair-Trade avocado program while adding two cents or less to the final consumer cost of the fruit,” Cavaletto said.

Supply outlook steady, expansion on horizon

From a supply perspective, GLC Cerritos believes there will be a stable and manageable transition between crop cycles in Mexico this year.

“Mexico is about 13 percent behind last year in terms of acres harvested,” Cavaletto said. “This indicates that we should have plenty of old crop for the next few months.”

At the same time, early indicators from the new crop are encouraging, particularly in Jalisco.

“New crop in Jalisco is testing in the 18-19 percent dry matter range as of late March,” he said. “Growers in early areas will continue to monitor this weekly. Mexico’s policy is to allow fruit with 23 percent dry matter to be shipped to the United States.”

Additional supply from the region could further strengthen year-round availability.

“Jalisco submitted several thousand acres to USDA for consideration to be approved to ship fruit to the U.S.,” Cavaletto noted. “We anticipate their decision in April. Any increase will help to make Mexico a more dominant year-round supplier.”

Operationally, he said the company continues to emphasize freshness through its sourcing model.

“We are particularly proud of the pick-to-order model, which ensures the freshest fruit possible,” he said.

Consumer trends drive packaging growth

In the marketplace, GLC Cerritos is seeing continued shifts in how avocados are purchased across North America.

“Bagged avocado sales growth continues to outpace loose in all outlets,” Cavaletto said. “This is true not only in the United States but in Canada and Mexico as well.”

The trend reflects growing consumer demand for convenience and value, which remains a key area of focus for the company moving forward.

Viva Fresh offers platform for industry engagement

GLC Cerritos will once again participate in the Viva Fresh Expo, an event that holds special significance for the company.

“Viva Fresh is the first show that GLC Cerritos ever participated in in the U.S., and as such it is an important one for our team,” Cavaletto said.

Held this year on April 16-18 in San Antonio, TX, the show aligns with a seasonal demand surge in the avocado category.

“This March, the U.S. avocado market is moving 25 percent more fruit than it did in February,” he said. “After a relatively weak market last winter, spring demand is breaking volume records.”

GLC Cerritos sees this year’s Viva Fresh as an opportunity to reinforce confidence in supply continuity during a critical transition period.

“The message this spring is that the old-crop/new-crop transition in Mexico should be smoother than it has been in the past,” Cavaletto said. “There are more old-crop groves left to harvest than we had in April 2025, and new-crop fruit is already testing in the 18-19 percent dry matter range.

“Viva Fresh presents an opportunity to share this news with the industry and give them the confidence that high-quality avocados from Mexico are available throughout the year,” he said.