|
Bananas
 Bananas are one of the most popular and most consumed fruits in the world. Yet, large multinational corporations control a large percentage of the banana trade; Dole and Chiquita together control more than 50%. Most bananas are produced in the Caribbean and Central and South America, and reports of unfair labor conditions among the large corporate plantations abound. Fair Trade is cutting out the corporate influence by providing banana farmers a direct connection into the marketplace.
Fair Trade Banana Cooperative
 ASOPROBAN
Colombia
Photo and profile provided
by TransFair USA
ASOPROBAN (Asociación de parceleros y pequeños productores de banano) is a banana cooperative located along the Caribbean coast in the Magdalena region of northwestern Colombia. This region is highly militarized and is characterized by elevated levels of poverty, unemployment, and violence. The cooperative was first established in 1984 when 28 farmers came together with the hopes of taking control of their production and directly marketing their fruit. Since that time, the ASOPROBAN cooperative has been recognized for its social programs and environmental protection efforts in the face of conflict and corruption.
The Fair Trade price has helped enable the cooperative to implement the following:
- A community garbage collection program and training on environmental protection, including a plastic recycling program run by women.
- An organic conversion program, which includes the conversion of 52 hectares to organic.
- An agricultural diversification program that includes technical assistance in the cultivation of crops such as cocoa, guava, plantains, and coconuts.
- A reforestation project along the banks of the Orihueca River.
- Recreation programs for cooperative members and their children.
- A health program for all cooperative members and their families. Specialized health units have also been established to provide services and advice in the areas of early childhood development, blood pressure, nutrition, and vaccination administration.
"With Fair Trade we have an incentive to invest in social programs that benefit producers and the community. We also receive higher incomes to sustain ourselves. If it were not for Fair Trade, we wouldn't exist as banana producers since the amount we receive for a box of conventional bananas does not cover our expenses." —Edinson Cabana Zapata, member, ASOPROBAN |
More about bananas:
- Without Fair Trade, fruit farmers often receive only a few cents a pound for their crop, far below the cost of production. In Ecuador, the cost of basic necessities for a family of four is $9.60 a day, but on non-Fair Trade farms, workers may earn as little as $3 a day, according to TransFair USA.
- A 2002 Human Rights Watch report claims that banana workers in Ecuador are the victims of serious human rights abuses. The report found that Ecuadorian children as young as eight work on banana plantations. The children earned an average of $3.50 per day, which is approximately 60% of the legal minimum wage for banana workers.
- Fair Trade certification for bananas, and other fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, and grapes, ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their fruit, and that farmworkers have good working conditions and receive fair wages. According to TransFair USA, the Fair Trade price is set to allow farmers to cover the costs of sustainable production, without the use of harmful agrochemicals, and provide a decent standard of living for farming families.
- Fair Trade farms are thoroughly inspected at least once a year to ensure that these standards are met.
- In addition to the fair price, small farmer cooperatives and plantation worker organizations receive a premium to invest in education, healthcare and crop diversification.
Find where to purchase Fair Trade bananas near you! »
|
