Agave spirits and water for all.
We love to be proud of the emblematic Mexican spirits from agave and sotol. How could be the XXI century health covid crisis without Margaritas in the USA market? Looking at the historical production of Agave Spirits (AS), experts in the Spirits-drinks-USA sector expect an annual growth over the next 10 years approximately 6% each year. How do we plan this growth in a country with problems with water availability? The tequila sustainable strategy (studies started in 2014) has had a gigantic leadership with 11 big players engaged to make possible a dream: clean water after the pipeline and elevate the recycled water used in the process. The R&D departments and universities in Mexico are working very hard for vinasses residues. It is only for tequila and mezcal? It is for all the spirits industries and also for bio-fuels (bio ethanol) factories. Agave plants are produced without irrigation but for one tequila liter production ten water liters are used. Global agavization is not a problem in arid areas, the big effort is to clean the wastewater used in the distilleries process.
Agave spirits in the world
The Climate crisis causes drought recrudescences for agriculture why not to this dramatic condition do agave crops? I think it has been a good idea to develop and invest in blue agave in Australia, California, and other important areas with irrigated agriculture. Crops unirrigated also prevent salinization in soils. Agave plants have been seen for centuries in Africa and Asia, also in Europe (Spain) as a solution for biomass production in dry areas. In the XIX century, hard fibers agaves were introduced to many countries giving good results in Tanzania and Brazil. Today the interest is focused on Agave tequilana (blue agave) and other species under cultivation (A. angustifolia, A. salmiana, etc. and more) for distillates, syrups and nutraceuticals. Mexico is not like other countries, you can go there and buy or collect plants (historical landraces) without private intellectual rights or paying excessive amounts to growers and distributors as occurs with varieties in Europe for example. There are no barriers in this aspect, if you respect the Mexican emblematic names in Denominations of Origin and international agreements. In all the world you can use the term "agave spirits" in your brand without revision, rules, and agave plants traceability. In fact, you can have a bottle with an agave spirit brand without agave raw materials. Some of these examples are used in the USA and Canada craft spirits brands.
Competitivenness and water management
Surely we will see out Mexico the big-scale production and technological modernization in the agave species and spirits sector. A massive production strategy is needed with a supply chain supported by tissue culture of blue agave origin and that is not a barrier. In Mexico, the blue agave cycle is reduced with the use of 4 years of cultivated plantations, which are used for tequila and nutraceuticals (?). The big-scale blue agave plantations in Australia as in Mexico with four rainfall seasons could have an entrance to the agave spirits. Why not also the south of California? I am a consultant and researcher in blue agave since 1985 and would like to give free advice for new investments. There are two points to take into account for research and development based in arid lands. The first one is in the need of hand labor mostly for the harvest and the second is about the expensive treatments for vinasses (waste-water). As always problems are the best for new opportunities and scientific solutions. Who is going to have quickly the agave harvest automation and the vinasses 100% treatment? I will talk in a future post about hand labor and harvest automation.
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Optimal water management or greenwashing?
Mexican scientists have invested decades in the tequila industry, but I am almost sure Australia or California could have very soon the answer motivated for the competition and the challenge. The water management and vinasses in agave spirits are important issues, costs solutions have to be improved in the near future in any place in the world. The greenwashing is undesirable but present in agave spirits brands as in many other products all over the world. We need clean water not greenwashing. The "green" consumers have information about the spectacular results in bagasse uses. Beautiful bricks are commonly mentioned in publicity, also compost for new plantations and fertilizers. We have seen the bioplastics agave uses and the problem is not solved in this way. The water waste treatments in spirits or alcohol industries are producing biogas and solving energy inputs. Vinasses (water residues) could have magnificent results as fertilizers but need also a special chemical treatment. There are hundreds of scientific publications speaking about it. Soon it will be not a problem if competitive conditions help to move in this area more investments and actions. We all (consumers, producers, and nature) need clean water with optimal management.
Helping you!
If you are interested in wastewater treatments let me know your own opinion and comments. Science women in Brazil and Mexico are producing science and technology in Cacha?a and Tequila, I let you the link to two vinasses papers recently published in peer-reviewed scientific Journals. In my channel "The Agave and Sotol Lessons" we are inclusive and promote the research results done in Latin America by women in science. I invite you to follow us for more sustainable practices in agave spirits.
Managing Director leading Tequila & Mezcal distribution in Asia
2 年Ana. Thanks. Very informative read.