WAO’s Zac Bard: Consumer education holds the key to avocado growth

Europe’s ability to absorb record avocado volumes offers encouragement as the industry looks to expand consumption in India and other Asian markets. 

Zac Bard, chairman of the World Avocado Organisation (WAO), says teaching consumers how to ripen, prepare, and incorporate avocados into local cuisine is essential to matching demand with rising production. 

Speaking to FreshFruitPortal.com at Fruit Attraction 2026 earlier this month in Madrid, Spain, Bard discussed the summer season, emerging origins, and why growers should support collective promotion.

Image by WAO

How has the European market performed this season?

It is a record year in Europe. Consumption is going to be just over 1.2 million metric tons, compared with about 1.4 million in the United States, so the gap has closed.

In March and April, there were record volumes in the market, up to seven million boxes a week, and the market did not collapse. It was under pressure, but prices held at a reasonable level.

From around July 10, volumes reduced to about six million cartons a week, and prices went above €10 a carton. That shows demand has grown. Summer volumes have more than doubled since 2019, and the market has handled that additional production surprisingly well.

What has WAO learned about creating demand?

WAO is an organization for growers. Our mission is to increase demand in line with world production.

Consumer education is central. People need to understand the health benefits, how to ripen an avocado, how to cut it open, and how to use it in their local cuisine.

Image by Shutterstock

Avocados are incredibly versatile. We show consumers how to incorporate them into French, Spanish, or Portuguese dishes. In India, we have “Indianized” the avocado. Address those needs, and you can have an amazing effect.

We use traditional media, social media, in-store promotions, and a myth-busting campaign, so it's a four-pronged approach.

How significant could India become to avocado demand?

I think India is going to become a significant consumer because we have laid the foundations through consumer education. From something that was largely unknown, many people now understand what an avocado is and how to use it.

India is also producing avocados. There were already some West Indian varieties around Bangalore, but local growers are now planting Hass.

Image by Shutterstock

In the Western Ghats, the tropical highland conditions are very good for avocados. Some growers are replacing tea and coffee with avocados, and the pioneers have their first crops.

Everything produced there will probably be consumed domestically in our lifetimes. I see the Indian market continuing to grow.

Where are the next opportunities for market development?

Europe and the United States consume most of the avocados. Asia is still very small, but that can change with strong consumer education programs in China, Japan, and South Korea.

Simply shipping avocados and hoping people learn how to eat them does not work. Those markets need to be activated.

Expanding our work in Asia is in the pipeline, but WAO is a collaborative organization. We need agreement and financial contributions. It takes time and money, but we have the experience from Europe and India.

Where will future supply growth come from?

Peru will probably stabilize, while South Africa, Brazil, and other origins take up more space. Morocco has grown substantially, Spain has expanded, and Colombia has grown. Chile is also supplying more volume.

New origins include Ecuador, Panama, Nicaragua, and Angola. East Africa has opportunities in Asia because it can produce almost year-round, with relatively short shipping times.

Can demand keep pace with production?

I think Southern Hemisphere production growth will be between six and eight percent, while the markets for that same fruit could grow at between 12 percent and 14 percent.

There has been a large increase in production since 2019, yet prices have held up reasonably well. Growers may find conditions tough, but those volumes have helped grow the market.

Image by Shutterstock

Producers will continue looking for opportunities to fill supply gaps, strengthening year-round availability. I think there is a good balance.

What is your main advice to the industry?

Support generic promotion programs, particularly in new markets. We need consumer education to maintain demand and keep avocados in consumers’ minds.

Growers contribute through associations or directly. Keeping avocados visible, including on social media, will be important to the industry’s future.

Written by Tom Azzopardi | Reported by Ed Vernon from Madrid, Spain. 

*Zac Bard's portrait courtesy of WAO; all other images are referential via Shutterstock. 

The second edition of the Global Avocado Summit will be held on November 11, 2026, at the Monticello Casino Events Center in Santiago, Chile. Organized by Paltas de Chile and Yentzen Group, the meeting seeks to bring together the main players in a growing industry

The event has established itself as a key space for addressing commercial and sustainability issues in the industry, bringing together producers, exporters, buyers, certifiers, and innovators to analyze the sector’s challenges and opportunities.

For more info, contact events@yentzengroup.com

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