Spirit of MEXICO
Agave
Taking care of the local population of employees is critical in sustaining the tequila industry long term .
Proper sustainability for agave plants is important , as some can take more than a decade to reach proper maturation .
largest vendor of agave spirits in America . Moreno ’ s is at the epicenter of tequila in America . So how worried was its proprietor about the agave shortage ?
“ It ’ s a trend ,” Moreno says . “ There is data out there , plenty of statistics , that will show you the graph — kind of like the stock market — that show that it ’ s a specific amount of time where there will be an agave shortage , and then an agave surplus . Right now , we are going through that shortage , but all of these distilleries have been putting tons of money into growing more agaves . You go out there , and there are miles and miles of fields of agave .”
“ So it ’ s something that is temporary ,” he adds . “ It ’ s not going to be lasting forever . I think if anything , I ’ m more concerned about glass shortages and stuff like that than I am of the agave shortage .”
BRANDS BACK SUSTAINABILITY To Moreno ’ s point , top tequila brands have invested significantly in a sustainable future for the category .
“ We are the number-one tequila company in the world , and the Jose Cuervo brand has been in production for 11 generations ,” says Lander Otegui , SVP of Marketing at Proximo Spirits . “ This puts us in a unique position to perfect our production process and strengthen our supply chain to keep up with the increased demand worldwide for our different tequila brands across all price points . As the leader , we have a responsibility to meet that growth without sacrificing agave quality or sustainable farming and production practices . We work closely with our agricultural team and the Mexican government to ensure that the land is cultivated properly , and resources are managed responsibly .”
As a category leader , Jose Cuervo “ was the first tequila producer to find a sustainable use for the tonnes of agave byproduct , called bagasse , which gets produced by us and our industry every year ,” Otegui adds . “ For decades , we ’ ve used agave byproduct as natural fuel for our ovens and as compost in our fields . In 2019 , we established ‘ The Agave Project ’ to commit to re-purposing or recycling 100 % of bagasse — whether for fiber plastic alternatives , like drinking straws and cups — to donations to local artisans and engineers to use for paper products and building materials , and creative uses like surfboards , guitars and even car parts .”
“ We also partnered with ITESO University in Guadalajara to build a house in Tequila , Mexico , made entirely from sustainable materials utilized or produced during the tequila production process , including bottles , bagasse , discarded barrels and more ,” he continues . “ We completed the home in 2022 for one of our jimadors , and it now serves as a prototype for future houses . Our ambition is to build more homes in Tequila and the surrounding regions in the coming years .”
At the tequila brand Cazadores , owned by Bacardi , “ We ’ ve been preparing for this boom for several years , as we ’ ve seen the increased demand for tequila in the U . S . steadily increasing YOY ,” says Ronan Beirne , Cazadores Global VP . They are monitoring the agave shortage “ closely , and have a number of initiatives in place to support and protect the future supply of agave . This includes the introduction of a sustainability certification that sees us working with agaveros to help them improve their agricultural practices , which in turn helps them to increase the quantity and quality of the agave they produce .
“ We also grow and mature a portion of agave , some of it on our own property ( this was used for our first-ever limited-edition Tequila Cazadores 100 Year Estate Release that was released at the end of 2022 ) and have also implemented processes to reduce waste ,” Beirne adds . “ It ’ s important to remember it takes six years to develop a fully matured agave plant , so planning for the long-term is important to ensure agave / tequila supply for the future .”
14 2023 Spirit of Mexico