Bananas - food commodity

How many people are bananas a staple food for

400m

Where are bananas usually grown

mainly in South America

in the hot, rainy lowlands of tropical regions

What environmental disadvantages do bananas pose

• Deforestation

• Waste

• Soil fertility (due to contaminants)

• Loss of biodiversity (pollutants run into water)

Who are the largest importers of bananas

EU and USA

22% of total exports

how do they act as an example of unequal flows of money

90% of the price paid by consumers stay in the richer north and never reach the producer

Retailers are increasingly dominating the supply chain

Give an example of a major banana production TNC

Noboa

located in Ecuador

what special and differential treatment was given to LIC banana producers

tariff free import quotas to supply the EU market 

what was the goal of the special and differential treatments given to LIC banana producers

to protect the smaller family run farms in the Caribbean and Africa from large latin american competitors

what problems did the EU have with the SDTs given to the LIC banana producers

they didn’t like the increased competition

what does fair trade do

Helps smaller scale Caribbean and African producers

increasing sales of sustainable bananas as people support their ethics