What you see in these photos are not avocados. They’re facsimiles, made using a mixture of broad beans/fava beans, hazelnuts, apple and rapeseed oil. The skin is fashioned out of wax, and looks quite realistic, if you ask us. The ingredients were chosen to be as low carbon as possible.
Called Ecovado, the project is the work of Arina Shokouhi, a graduate student at Central Saint Martins in London, and is meant as a lower-carbon alternative to avocados.
“The avocado has become a modern-day cultural icon synonymous with hipster cafes and trendy Instagram posts,” said Shokouhi.
“However, avocado production is energy-intensive and resource-intensive: each avocado requires 320 litres of water to grow and harvest internationally.”
“Avocados are one of the most unsustainable crops to export because of their delicate, easy-to-bruise nature, and the plantation-style monoculture farms required to meet the global demand for avocados are driving the deforestation of some of the most diverse landscapes in the world.”
Instead of a pit, the ecovado has a whole nut inside, replicating the experience of opening and using an avocado.
The entire thing is biodegradable and compostable, and even can be fashioned into a candle after use, if the user decides to be crafty.
Learn more about this fascinating project on Dezeen.
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