griphuz

A documentary I found, might be nice to watch:


Bananas: At Any Cost.
Juan Accidentes Dominguez is on his biggest case ever. On behalf of twelve Nicaraguan banana workers he is tackling Dole Food in a ground-breaking legal battle for their use of a banned pesticide that was known by the company to cause sterility. “This film just demonstrates how multi-national organisations go about abusing their positions within society in the quest for money. Sadly the chemicals banned in the developed world are still sold for use in developing countries and it is the poorer people within these countries that suffer. Bananas is a must see and we need more DVD's like this that bring the truth to the world about how their food is really produced, well done film makers.” Harry65.


kind regards,
Remko.

Yug

Yeah, well Alar was a lie, and how many have died of malaria since the banning of DDT? I'd say this need to be proven and not propagandized before we jump over another cliff.

Richard

But ... its so much fun!

Seriously though, I agree with you 100%. Its amazing though how corporate agriculture is sometimes sold on solutions that make little sense on many fronts.

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Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

harveyc

My family sponsors three children (and their families) in Nicaragua. The oldest child's father had done well making progress over the years and sending his children to school and we were glad to help. He hasn't worked since late in 2010 because of kidney failure which his doctors attributed to pesticide poisoning related to his work on a banana plantation. We were told it is a common problem. I have no proof that it is actually the cause, but it seems plausible. I had not heard of sterility problems.

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Nicolas Naranja

Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the consumer. The average banana consumer wants a blemish free fruit, and they want it cheap. So, how do you get blemish free cheap fruit. You spray it constantly and use cheap labor. I have planes that fly over my house to spray fields across the street. If consumers would accept a tight husked sweet corn with salmon colored silks and cob, that plane would fly far fewer times over my house.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

Richard

Out here that would translate to prices paid by packing houses.

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Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

Nicolas Naranja

Ultimately it's the consumer. Produce is a funny commodity that defies standard macroeconomic theory. Since I know sweet corn, I'll use it as an example. When sweet corn is selling for $8/crate all the ears are big and might find at most 2% off grade ears. When sweet corn is selling for $35/crate, you will likely find 15% off grade ears. Of course I've noticed over the years that store prices are far stickier than producer prices. I've seen green beans being sold for $2/lb while the farmer was getting 25 cents/lb, and I see it at $2/lb when the farmer is getting $1/lb.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

harveyc

You're right, Nick, that's the economics behind essentially all produce except for things that are in shortage and some other special situations.

The packing houses make their money primarily on the charges for packing but also on a commission on their sales to brokers (10% is typical for most things I'm familiar with). The brokers, in turn, are paying based on what they are able to market them for to grocery chains, etc. which, again, are willing to pay prices based on what the consumers are willing to pay. The consumers make their price decisions on numerous judgments of the value of the product based on appearance, perceived flavor, health benefits, etc.

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Nicolas Naranja

Here, I think the packing house basically charges a set price. They always make money whether the crate is $10 or $30. I think it's like $2/crate to hydrocool and sell.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

harveyc

To provide an incentive to try to get the highest price (which benefits the growers as well as them), they charge a flat price for packing plus the 10% on the sales. That's the case for pears, cherries, stone fruit, etc.

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Nicolas Naranja

Here the relationship between grower packer and broker are quite incestuous. Most of our vegetables are field packed, so packinghouse aren't really packinghouses except for green beans and the bean people tend to own their own packing lines. And then the growers tend to own the packing house. And it's all crazily organized in a menagerie of partnerships and shell companies. They keep the accountants busy and shuffle money around so quick that it keeps the tax man guessing.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

sandy0225

Darn I was disappointed when I read the title to this "bananas at any cost" I thought someone else had gone crazy like me and put up another greenhouse....lol...

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

DoctorSteve

The movie is on Netflix instant play under Bananas!* After reading Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World, I only buy organic bananas. I still don't even trust that they are 100% organic but I want to better the situation of the workers as much as I can. I think as consumers we need to show what we want. I want the best for the workers, so every time they up the bar on some bananas I will buy those. I don't care if I pay more.