Mas Bananas

When we went to the Chiquita banana plantation we learned quite a bit about bananas. They showed us their facilities, and gave us a show about the history of bananas and how bananas are grown and harvested. Although the show was in English it was still entertaining and we had a translator for part of it so we got some good information about bananas in general and Chiquita specifically.
Chiquita has farms in Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala. Central America is the ideal place to grow bananas because they have the right amount of rainfall and are close to the equator. The guide said that there are around five or six farms in Costa Rica alone she was not sure of the exact number. The farm that we were at she estimated to have around 400 workers and each of them makes at least the Costa Rican minimum wage and most of their employees make 50% over the minimum wage. According to the pamphlet we received at Chiquita the average worker makes around 13 dollars a day with social benefits as well. With Chiquita employing so many people and the banana industry being the second biggest industry in Costa Rica I am left wondering how some people survive off of the salaries they are paid. In its entirety Chiquita employs over 25000 people on over 35000 acres of land.
I noticed that all of the bunches of bananas at every banana plantation we have passed has a bag over them. The bag is to keep the direct sunlight off of the bananas and to keep insects off too. Chiquita used plastic bags that they claim to recycle but I saw several lying at the feet of the banana trees. I am curious as to whether they pick them up later or if some of them are biodegradable which is a possibility but I did not get a chance to ask. I also noticed that most farms we pass have the wires hanging to transport the bananas to the processing plants or areas. I have not gotten to see this device in action except in videos but it looks pretty legit. When the bananas get to the processing area they are checked randomly for imperfections and if they are bad they are sent down the road to be used in baby food and other things of this nature. The bunches that banana farms use are from 4 to 10 bananas on a bunch but we have also seen single bananas being made and apparently these bananas go to high dollar coffee shops and places where people can pay a lot of money for a single banana. It seems to me that it would make much more sense if the shops just bought a bunch of bananas and then sold them separately.
Apparently the banana trees are always growing. They have multiple shoots that grow out of the top and the banana workers pick the healthiest shoot to let grow and cut the other one down so it can grow again stronger and also to not take nutrients from the branch they want the bananas to grow on. There is no substantial trunk of the tree it is just leaves that are wrapped tightly and they are very strong. If a bunch of bananas does get too big the workers tie it up with twine for extra support.
Chiquita is not an organic plantation although they claim to use the safest chemicals and processes available. I am not sure how spraying toxic chemicals that are proven to cause cancer and other health problems is ever safe but they do it the safest way possible. They said that the harshest chemical they use is only sprayed twice a year although some chemicals are used almost daily. The workers that are in harm have so wear safety equipment but that only consists of long sleeves and a mask over the face. As far as banana production goes Chiquita is good for the environment because some plantations operate in completely unsustainable ways. Some farms require no safety equipment, do not use safe chemicals, and show no remorse for what they are doing to the environment and the people living around the farm.
Chiquita moves it products using the great white fleet which are huge white boats that were initiated right before the turn of the 20th century. Costa Rican bananas go to Europe, Central America, North America, and virtually all over the world. It is also interesting to note that the average American eats 25 pounds of bananas a year. I come in way under this figure but I know people that eat bananas every day so I definitely believe this stat.
The bottom line is there are lots of bananas being produced in this country and lots of people eating bananas all over the world. If bananas stop being demanded this country would be in some serious trouble but that will not happen any time soon if ever.