Bananas

Question 1

Stats about banana trade?

Answer 1

• 5th most traded agriculture product
• in 2013 16 million tonnes exported
• ACP group and dollar producers are the main producers that are controlled by this such as chicquita and deal monte
• 80% are exported from the Caribbean and Latin America

Question 2

Environmental impacts?

Answer 2

• commercial plantations with Chiquita apply over 30kg of chemicals per hectare per year
• 2 tonnes of waste for every tonne of bananas
• deforestation

Question 3

Economic impacts?

Answer 3

• 90% of cost paid by consumers doesn’t reach producers
• 40% taken by tncs
• 80% of trade was dominated by 4 tncs but their share has reduced to 45%

Question 4

What’s the banana trade war?

Answer 4

• in 1975 Lome allowed producers to have access to train free trade but America weren’t happy so filed complaint in 1992 to WTO which meant Europe had to also reduced tariffs on Latin American bananas in 1997
• 71 countries were in the deal

Question 5

Spatial distribution?

Answer 5

• grown in tropical regions
• eu and us each take up 27% of exports
• high rates of domestic consumption in India and Brazil which reduces the dependency on export markets

Question 6

El guabo association?

Answer 6

• established in 1997 in Ecuador to ensure sustainable growth and stable conditions for workers
• exports 30,000 boxes a week to USA and EU
• before fair trade, 339 families sold to companies at costs too low to cover basic needs
• one of global largest producers of fair trade bananas

Question 7

Economic and social benefits?

Answer 7

• fair guaranteed income $3 higher daily then avg wage
• producers make more to reinvest e.g. new loading dock
• better healthcare and eduction like el guabo clinic