Bad news for millennials: Avocados are threatened by the climate crisis – with the world’s top growing regions expected to shrink by as much as 41% by 2050

It is the favorite food of hipster millennials in trendy cafes.

But the price of avocado toast could soon skyrocket as the oily fruit is threatened by climate change, according to a new report.

The superfood favorite is known for its impact on the environment due to its need for plenty of water during growth.

But this makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change in a hotter, drier and more drought-prone world.

Researchers already think that the world’s largest avocado growing regions will shrink by as much as 41 percent by 2050 because the land will simply be too dry.

The new report, ‘Getting Smashed: The Climate Hazard Facet Avocados’, was published today by London-based charity Christian Aid.

“It’s no surprise that avocados are popular all over the world, from Brixton to Burundi,” says Mariana Paoli, Global Advocacy Lead at Christian Aid.

‘Avocados may be a superfood, but their kryptonite is climate change.

“They are thirsty plants that are not suited to a hotter, drought-prone planet, which is where we are heading if rich countries do nothing to reduce their use of fossil fuels and cut emissions.”

There is no doubt that avocados are highly nutritious and contain healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that are essential for human health.

Many around the world rely on the fibre-rich, vitamin-rich fruit for their essential nutrition – including people in Britain, which is the seventh largest importer of avocados.

Avocados are also being researched for their potential against diseases, including cancer.

But if there are periods of prolonged heat, avocado trees will struggle to grow and bear fruit, the new report warns.

Also, some of the most productive avocado growing areas in the world will shrink simply because the land will become too dry.

The new Christian Aid report cites a 2022 study that found avocados – as well as other popular crops such as coffee and cashews – will be affected by global warming.

Depending on future temperatures, the total area considered highly suitable for growing avocados is expected to decrease by 14 to 41 percent worldwide by 2050.

For example, Michoacán, Mexico’s main avocado growing region, faces a 59 percent reduction in its potential growing area by 2050, even if global average temperatures remain below 2°C.

In addition to their great need for water, large areas of land have been cleared in Mexico to grow the fruit to meet demand from the nearby US.

Currently, Mexico dominates the avocado export market, with a 44.5 percent market share worth $3.25 billion, ahead of Peru, Spain, Chie and Colombia, the new report said.

Although Britain currently sources most of its avocados from Peru and Chile, avocado farmers in both countries are also facing water shortages.

Richer importing countries could be hit by higher prices as avocado availability declines and demand rises, the report said.

It calls for more support for avocado farmers and faster emissions reductions, which can largely be done by replacing ‘dirty’ fossil fuels with clean energy methods.

The report describes avocados as ‘a controversial fruit’ not only because of their impact on the environment.

Down under, the avocado, squished on toast, is hugely popular and “forced into intergenerational culture wars,” the company claims.

In 2017, Australian millionaire Tim Gurner sparked controversy when he claimed that millennials could get into the housing market if they just didn’t spend their money on avocado toast.