-By Lisa
As it turns out, bananas are pretty evil.
Which is sad, because my smoothies are no good without them and cartoon characters have nothing funnier to slip on.
But the banana industry is no laughing matter. Banana production in Latin America has a long and nasty history that has seen little improvement in recent years.
- Workers are often mistreated and exposed to hazardous chemicals; fungicides and insecticides are applied to crops up to forty times a year.
- Child labor is disturbingly common, in an attempt to drive low consumer prices.
- Gender discrimination runs rampant due to low levels of unionization; in Ecuador female workers earn 3-4 times less than males in the same jobs.
- Environmental issues abound, as rainforests are clear-cut to plant bananas on monoculture plantations, which severely diminishes soil fertility.
The "Banana republic" isn’t just a place to get khakis and matching sweater sets, rather, it is an oppressive empire of instability, corruption and agricultural exploitation. If you want more info about the impact of bananas, check out Banana Link, a non-profit out of the UK that works towards a more fair and sustainable banana trade.
I love bananas but for all the depressing reasons above, I have been trying to curb my intake. Until now. I was at Whole Foods the other day and noticed the Fair Trade bananas. Concerned it might be an “Ethical Because I Say So” self-certification, I investigated. It actually seems pretty legit; Whole Foods works with outside organizations, Fair Trade Certified, TransFair USA and Rainforest Alliance. Those organizations check for the key criteria required by Whole Trade Guarantee including quality of the product, premium price to the producer, improved wages and conditions for workers and the environmental responsibility.
Guilt-free bananas? Sweet.
For more from Lisa, check out www.justherejustnow.com
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