Going Bananas? Jessica Hendrix Culture, Food, and Agriculture April 30, 2010

So, What Should I Do with this Banana?

Broiled in sugar Jam Baked Mashed for babies Dehydrated Preserved for famine Feed Livestock Plates Wrappers Umbrellas Thatching Packing Cigarette wrapping Raft Cushioning Fishing line Medicinal

Bananas Musaceae – Musa Large herb producing berries Over 200 varieties Wild variety Three banana belts

How to Grow a Banana Well-drained acidic soils Weed control Wind protection Irrigation Protection

A Worldwide Favorite Staple food for Africa and Central America Originated in Indo-Malaysian to North Australia region Portuguese transported to South America in 1500s 1804 bananas reach New York City from Cuba

Start of a World Industry Began as a shipping enterprise Realized the benefits of consolidation Struggle to keep up with growing demand

Great Marketing Radio commercials Cook books Doctors support Catchy songs – “Yes, We Have No Bananas!” “Brazilian Bombshell” Carmen Miranda Chiquita logo

Dollar Bananas Trade with the US Regulated by free market trade and oligopoly Dominant system Originally United Fruit Company Control 80 percent of the market Vertically integrated

ACP Bananas Trade between Africa, Caribbean, Pacific with Europe Regulated by preferential market agreements between countries Separate shipping and production companies Small plantations

Banana Republics Banana industry closely linked with American imperialism El Pulpo United controlled countries domestic policies Countries became, and still are, highly dependent upon banana trade Columbia and Ecuador have managed to break away

Banana Wars 1993 EU set regulations for preferential treatment to former colonies Chiquita protested World Trade Organization got involved 1999 WTO ruled in favor of Chiquita Further modifications in 2001 that are still being debated

Destructive Diseases Panama Disease – Fungus – Extremely bad news – ‘Gros Michel’ cultivar – ‘Cavendish’ cultivar Black Sigatoka Bunchy Top

Banana Workers Initially native workers in control Then the overseers and technology took over Now victims of the “race to the bottom” Plantations only receive 11 cents per dollar spent

More work No rights Long hours Little protection No unions allowed Solidarismo promoted Poor living conditions ACP different – Family labor

Gender Roles Men Chemical application Prune Wrap Harvest Load Women Packing Cutting Applying fungicides Men are often paid 3 to 4 times more than women for the same job Sexual harassment is a problem Child labor is also common

Environmental Impacts Deforestation Waste disposal Water pollution Coral reef destruction Loss of biodiversity Severe erosion Flooding

Some is good, more is better! More pesticides used on bananas than any other crop, except for cotton Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematocides Aerial spraying High rates of pesticide poisonings

A Sustainable Future? NGOs Better Banana Project Certification Organic Fair Trade Intercropping

Yes, We Will Have No Bananas! No genetic diversity + Panama disease + Limited research occurring = NO Bananas!