Wimbledon slammed for banning one food item found in every household

Wimbledon chiefs have been lambasted by a global food organisation for banning avocados at this year's Championships. The stoned fruit has been taken off menus at the All England Club, despite its popularity with the younger generation, as part of a push to make staging the tournament more sustainable.

The decision has led to a spiky response from the World Avocado Organisation (WAO), who point out that tarnishing the food with a non-environmentally-friendly image can negatively impact those who grow it for a living. Wimbledon bosses have replaced avocados with crushed English peas on their menu items, but the WAO insists that their favoured food is just as sustainable as other crops, if not more so.

Zac Bard, chairman of the WAO, said: "[Avocados are] one of the most nutrient-dense and environmentally responsible fruits available today. Misconceptions can have non-desired impacts and affect small farmers who rely on growing avocados to make a living.

"Avocados are too often made a scapegoat in the conversation around food sustainability. We must look at the full picture: from how they're grown to how they're transported, avocados are one of the more environmentally responsible choices in today's global food system. They're a smart, sustainable, and health-forward choice."

The WAO also claim that the production of foods like nuts, beef and olive oil, which have all been kept on Wimbledon menus, have a much more significant environmental impact than avocado growing.

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The production of milk, rice and eggs is also cited to be more damaging than avocado growing, while the production of coffee, cheese, lamb, beef and chocolate is said to be 'significantly' more damaging.

The WAO statement continued: "As avocados are produced from large trees, those trees play a crucial role in carbon sequestration by capturing and storing CO2. A mature tree can absorb approximately 22kg of CO2 per year. With similar or even lower water usage compared to other fruit crops, minimal pesticide exposure and environmentally friendly farming practices, avocados provide a sustainable and nutritious choice for consumers."

Wimbledon chiefs are aiming for net-zero emissions by 2030 and they have adopted a number of new measures to achieve their goal. Their fleet of vehicles is now electric and reusable cups have helped to reduce the amount of single-use plastics.

Furthermore, showers are now solar-powered and the vast majority of the kitchens on site have ditched gas power in favour of more environmentally friendly solutions.