Banana post #2

Bananas is an integral fruit on many diets all around the world, though the majority of people do not realize the production process that the fruit goes through. If everyone was truely informed of the banana industry, would their opinion of the fruit change? Through research, I discovered some interesting and unknown facts about the production of bananas all over the world.

Though 123 countries produce bananas, over 63% of all production is accountable to just 10 countries. America and Europe make up the largest market share for the demand of this crop. Like the demand, the ownership of banana production is also concentrated in these areas with big corporations such as Dole, Chiquita, Del Monte, and United Fruit Co. producing all but 13% of bananas. This means that the bananas are different from coffee in that there are very few individual or cooperatives in the banana industry.

Because of this more incorporated way of production, many time there are things that the plantations in places in CR lack or are not sufficient in. Many times, plantations are grown in countries that have less than par labor laws or even a low committment to human rights. In CR, where payment is already scarce, immigrant workers (Nicaraguans) are willing to work for less which decreases job security, and due to the problems stated above, the work conditions are often strenuous and may have other harmful effects, such as the spraying of harmful pesticides and fungicides while workers were in the field or even near their homes.. The type of work conditions on banana plantations found all around the world would not be acceptable in the places where most bananas are actually being sold (U.S. and Europe).

Though unionization and organization by banana plantation workers seems like a feasible answer, attempts have been unsuccessful. The tiny improvements that opotential unions would work for are, to many workers, not worth the chance of being fired or "blacklisted" from employment at other plantations. Due to the lack of a successful organizing of many banana workers, the conditions they work in have not improved, and there seems to be no way around it with the need of a job being so high.

Exports of bananas are continuely growing but the proccessing and packing process of bananas may also be disturbing to consumers. The spraying and gasing of unrippened bananas, in order to make sure they turn from bright green (when picked) to the yellow so many consumers are used too, is done just before the banana is loaded onto ships for delivery to market by sea.

Luckily, like with coffee, bananas are also a Fair Trade product. This means that some bananas are produced using Fair Trade guidlines which include that their production be sustainable. This means no use of pesticides, fungicides, and other dangerous chemicals which benefits workers, citizens of the countries where bananas are produced, and consumers. If the banana industry moved to an all Fair Trade system, the industry would be more efficient and ultimately achieve the goal of sustainable.