I tend to grow most of my own fruits and vegetables. When I do not grow them I try to buy local products. There is growing controversy of buying organic and whether it is worth the extra cost. The lines on this are blurred now that big business has entered into the organic market. One fruit that I always buy organic though is bananas. I do this not because of the pesticides that I am afraid to ingest but because my choice of bananas are a social justice decision. A couple of years ago, I was reading one of the many books that have been written on sustainable living and it mentioned bananas being a inexpensive way to support social justice issues. After that I did some research.
My research showed that most banana sales are controlled by a few large conglomerates like Dole, Del Monte and Chiquita. Bananas are grown all over the world in over 120 different countries but most of the conventional bananas are grown in Central America countries where employee protection laws are lax or not enforced with the worst being Ecuador. Plantation housing tends to be close and dilapidated. Child labor laws are lax and children as young as 10 are used in the fields. Intensive banana growing requires regular applications of pesticides. Most of this is done by spraying from the air where people are working and living. Some plantations do not even allow workers to leave the fields during pesticide application. People who live and work on these plantations have a higher rate of cancer and other pesticide related diseases.
Organic and fair trade bananas can cost between 10-30 cents more per pound. They are grown on small cooperative farms. Organic products most uphold certain safe labor practices in order to be certified organic. Fair trade organizations pay a living wage to workers as well as reinvest back into the community. Paying a few cents extra for a pound of bananas is a small price to pay to know that they are not grown by children or exploited workers. Organic bananas are commonly found in most large food chains. If you still have problems spending those few extra cents, look at it as a donation to help people in third world countries to work in a safe work environment and provide food and family necessities without a handout.
Here are some links to read up further on this area of concern.
Banana Plantations-Washington University Research
Fair Trade Bananas
Ecuador-A Banana Republic
My research showed that most banana sales are controlled by a few large conglomerates like Dole, Del Monte and Chiquita. Bananas are grown all over the world in over 120 different countries but most of the conventional bananas are grown in Central America countries where employee protection laws are lax or not enforced with the worst being Ecuador. Plantation housing tends to be close and dilapidated. Child labor laws are lax and children as young as 10 are used in the fields. Intensive banana growing requires regular applications of pesticides. Most of this is done by spraying from the air where people are working and living. Some plantations do not even allow workers to leave the fields during pesticide application. People who live and work on these plantations have a higher rate of cancer and other pesticide related diseases.
Organic and fair trade bananas can cost between 10-30 cents more per pound. They are grown on small cooperative farms. Organic products most uphold certain safe labor practices in order to be certified organic. Fair trade organizations pay a living wage to workers as well as reinvest back into the community. Paying a few cents extra for a pound of bananas is a small price to pay to know that they are not grown by children or exploited workers. Organic bananas are commonly found in most large food chains. If you still have problems spending those few extra cents, look at it as a donation to help people in third world countries to work in a safe work environment and provide food and family necessities without a handout.
Here are some links to read up further on this area of concern.
Banana Plantations-Washington University Research
Fair Trade Bananas
Ecuador-A Banana Republic
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