The Big Swap: Bananas
February 25, 2010 @ 11:12 AM
This entry continues our Big Swap series with bananas. The Big Swap is a simple idea: for the next two weeks, swap out something you buy regularly for the Fair Trade alternative. Coffee, chocolate, cutting boards, bananas, and more. Learn more.
The Broken System
Bananas are symptomatic of many of the current problems with conventional trade. The “race to the bottom,” the all-consuming drive for lower prices, has created a system where the farmers are paid little, have unacceptable working and living conditions, a few multinational corporations wield a disproportionate amount of influence, and the environment is neglected or abused.
The other factor in play here is the long history of violent abuse, bribery and murder in the banana industry’s history. Without diving into too much detail (you can read more here and here, the short story is that, over the last 100 years, a few multinational corporations have used their substantial leverage to manipulate governments, violently oppose workers rights, and bribe their way to more profits.
It’s not hard to see that something needs to change. It’s no secret that there’s money to be made in bananas, so why does so little of that money reach the farmers?
Here’s a few stats to show their popularity:
- Bananas are the most popular and most profitable fruit in the world.
- It’s estimated that 2% of the average American supermarket’s turnover is banana sales.
- According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American eats over 26 pounds of bananas each year, nearly twice that of any other fruit.
- Virtually everyone eats bananas – an estimated 96% in the US.
So the problem isn’t that the farmers are creating an inferior product, it’s that they’ve been excluded from the profit-making parts of the business!
There has to be a better way. Can’t all the links in the chain be treated fairly, and earn what they need to earn to live and support their families?
The Fair Trade Solution
Fair trade means that transparency, fairness, and basic human decency are built into the supply chain. Fair Trade bananas, like other Fair Trade Certified products, guarantee that the farmers are paid a living wage, that children are in schools, not working in the fields, that women are empowered and valued, and that the environment is respected and preserved.
Without Fair Trade certification, small fruit farmers often receive only a few cents a pound for their crop, far below the cost of production. Farm workers on plantations are equally disadvantaged. For example, in Ecuador, the cost of basic necessities for a family of four is $9.60 a day, but on non- Fair Trade farms, workers may earn as little as $2 a day. These disparities have lead to the widespread need for children to work in the fields to supplement their family’s income.
But Fair Trade wages are up to 6x what conventional farms pay – meaning that farmers can support their families with dignity and stability, and that their children are free to play. Organic certification means that the environment is valued and protected, ensuring that there are many more bananas for years to come.
As the statistics mentioned to the left have shown, many of us buy bananas regularly. It’s likely that you’ll purchase bananas in the next two weeks. So why not swap? Go out of your way, pay a little bit more, and know that your purchase supports a better way to do business. Here at Trade as One we don’t sell bananas, but our friends at TransFair have a tool that can help you find Fair Trade bananas and more, right in your neighborhood.
Now What?
We don’t offer bananas, but our friends at TransFair have a tool to find Fair Trade bananas near you. Happy Swapping!
We want to hear what you’re Swapping, why you’re Swapping, where you’re Swapping, we want to know! So share your swapping story in the comments section of this post.
