Bananas 2!!!!

This week we visited ur first banana plantation. We traveled to the Chiquita plantaion which is by far one of the largest banana plantions in Costa Rica. As we drove up, i was amazed at how many crops there were, thousands apon thousands as far as the eye could see. This visit taught me alot about both the company of Chiquita and banana harvesting in general.

The banana industry employs 10 percent of the workforce in Costa Rica which as a huge numbers. Within chiquita, women make up 5 to 30 percent of labor force depending on the country. During the visit i learned alot about banana production and many interesting facts. The banana plant is the largest herb in the world. For each plant, carries multiple shoots that create multiple harvests. During the earlier stages the workers will select the strongest shoot which will create the bananas and the other shoots will be chopped down. The banana trunk can be dug up at any time and moved to another location. It takes anywhere from 6 to 8 months for the shoot to bud, which then turns into bananas. When the plant fruits, workers place a plastic bag around the bundle of bananas to protect them from both insects and the sun. If you look around a plantation you can see many different colors that identify where the bananas are in the harvesting process. This colorcoding technique allows workers tho harvest the corp in an efficient manner. Once the bananas are ready, workers cut off the crop and send them down cableways to the packing station. One the bananas are take, the crop is cut down the the trunk again to start the process all over.

The packing station was very intense but efficient. When the bananas reach the station they are wieghed and packed. Next they are seperated and thrown into a tank for cleaning. The clusters of 4 to 10 bananas are then placed onto a tray and workers put on the Chiquita stickers by hand. I have never seen someone do anything that fast.

The company of Chiquita is far ahead of the competition when it comes to being a sustainable company. They do as much as they possibly can to protect the environment and the people both who work and live in surrounding communities. Chiquita has become partners with the Rainforest Alliance which is a huge step for the company. They have auditors come to the farm multiple times a year to see how the plantations are doing and what they could be doing. Currently Chiquita is creating a ¨gateway¨forest that connects the rainforest from one side of the farm to the other. This allows animals to migrate when necessary and prevents interbreeding. Chiquita also recycles all of the bags used in the harvesting process. They are recycled into the rope that is used to hold the trees up. This is a gigantic waste saver, many companys just throw them out and sometimes into the rivers. Marine biologists have noticed a significant change in the quality of coral reef because of this. A major issue that goes along with bananas is the pesticides and chemicals used in the process. Chiquita uses only agrichemicas that have been approved by the U.S. EPA, and the EU. This makes both the workers healthier and the enviornment much cleaner. Workers are also required to handle pesticides with the proper protective gear to promote safty.

Chiquita also has a stong impact on the workers and local community. Workers have proper training when dealing with chemicals that most other farms do not provide. Also Chiquita makes workers get physical checkups by doctors on a regular basis to ensure that they are safe and healthy. Workers have a maximum amount of hours they can work per week which restricts the over work that most plantations force apon employees. In the local communities, Chiquita has reached out to provide jobs and a source of income. They provide jobs such as crafts and dance that allow locals to create their own business and become successful.

As you can see Chiquita does alot to ensure both social and environmental safty. They go far above and beyond many of the other banana companies in Costa Rica when they do not necessarly need to. As a company Chiquita knows how they harm the envronment and strive to change their practices. The trip was a great learning experience and was well worth the time.