Tequila and mezcal, two of the most lauded Mexican spirits around, are inextricably connected to the cultural history of the country. As their popularity continues to soar around the world, so does the need for more sustainable production practices. Though both drinks share a common base in the agave plant, both products vary widely in how they’re grown and produced.
Tequila can only be made from blue agave, one species of agave famous for its sweet and pronounced flavor. The production process starts with the meticulous shearing of the plant’s leaves and flower stalk. The spiky leaves of the blue agave plant are trimmed, and the heart of the blue agave – called piñas – is roasted, fermented, and distilled into tequila. This laborious practice has turned tequila into an important commercial commodity. It developed international fame after being branded, like the cattle it still raises, in the late 1800s.
Mezcal can be produced from dozens of types of agave. Many of them, including some used for tequila, are wild varieties. Species such as cuish, jabalí, and tepeztate present enormous hurdles to cultivation. Their exceedingly long maturation periods and low yields further compound the challenges of growing them. Producers then roast the agave hearts in earthen pits for days at a time. Following roasting, they ferment the agave using a unique proprietary mix of local bacteria and yeast. This old school approach embodies the rich depth and breadth of the mezcal industry.
The growing popularity of both spirits has sparked a wave of environmental criticism. The rapid expansion of commercial farming has resulted in large, homogenous plantations of blue agave, especially around Jalisco. This expansion is wiping out valuable habitat, largely in tropical dry forests that are home to a vast array of endemic species. Recent overharvesting has begun to take an irreplaceable toll on these ecosystems. This additional strain would be enough to cause collapses, putting both the plants and the communities that rely on them in mortal danger.
The production of tequila is particularly resource-intensive. It takes the equivalent of five liters of gasoline just to produce one bottle. In addition, this process produces an estimated ten kilograms of liquid and solid waste. Though mezcal production is less industrialized, it is still environmentally impactful. To illustrate, producing one bottle of mezcal takes the equivalent of two tobalá plants, which take as long as 15 years to grow. Incidentally, the tobalá species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of over harvesting.
In San Juan del Río, an Indigenous Zapotec town in Oaxaca, remote sensing data shows a striking transformation. In just 26 years, agave cover more than doubled, from six percent to an astounding 22 percent. That would be a great development for the future of sustainable practices, provided it’s done thoughtfully.
The boom isn’t limited to tequila—the mezcal industry is projected to expand at 8% annually through 2030. To truly preserve the integrity of the spirit and the industry behind it, all stakeholders must commit to sustainability. The difficulty is in reconciling the demand of an ever-growing market and needs of sustainable agricultural practices that promote biodiversity and ecosystems.