Bananas Commodity Flashcards
What’s Fairtrade? Give place where it happens.
Originally grass roots, An ethical value chain where buyers pay more to guarantee farmers a minimum price for a good QoL. The social premium can also be reinvested into local schools/health centres. Doubling market every 2 years in UK. Saint Lucia. But impacted by TRS. Europe 1950s.
How popular are bananas?
Bananas are an extremely globalised product, it is the most commonly bought item from supermarkets in USA.
Describe general spatial distribution of banana production
Central Africa, Southern Asia and S. America. Lots between the tropics where the warm/wet climate is conducive. Few in Europe/North America.
Describe spatial pattern of consumption
Banana consumption is highest in tropical regions, particularly in countries of Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, with major consumers being India, China, globally, consumption is also widespread in developed countries like the U.S. and European nations, though at lower levels.
Who are bananas produced by?
Large TNC agribusinesses such as Chiquita.
Small, local farmers must compete with these. Though, increase in fairtrade and buying from these producers not large organisations.
Do poor producer regions have access to affluent markets like TNCs?
No but are getting there wity changing demands for fairtrade/focus on ethics.
Trade Barriers: Small-scale banana farmers in LDEs face tariffs, quotas, and competition from large producers, limiting their access to affluent markets.
Quality and Certification Challenges: Strict quality standards and certifications (e.g., food safety) make it difficult for small farmers to meet market requirements.
Knowledge Gaps: Lack of infrastructure, resources, and market networks hinders small farmers from navigating international trade and reaching affluent markets
What is El Guabo, 1997, Ecuador?
The El Guabo Association of Small Banana Producers is an example of small-scale producers in a LDE trying to redistribute the unequal flow of global trade.
They have won back market share from large TNCs.
Give 2 social and economic benefits
Stable incomes and lon term contracts.
Can raise capital for extra investment to wash banana tanks.
Free El Guabo health clinic
Food baskets for poorest groups
Give 3 challenges
The Black Sigatoka fungus is a constant threat that must be managed. These problems can in turn affect membership as farmers have to learn how to adapt and fight off the disease.
In addition, the farmers continue to compete for market space with growers and plantations who can afford to sell for less thanks to the poor treatment of workers and environmental shortcuts.
Achanging climateis making banana cultivation more difficult than ever with an increase in pests and disease, which affects quality and productivity.
Good locally. Challenges globally.
Challenges with banana trade
unequal flows of money for example, banana production in Central America is controlled by US TNCs and 90% of the price paid stays in the US rather than reaching the producers.
local consequences of the world trade, for example, bananas have a high cost to the local environment due to waste and soil contamination from disinfectant used to wash the fruit at harvesting. *.Lots of land cleared and soils exhausted from monoculture.
* low costs and availability of bananas for me – UK is the highest EU importer at 1.15 million tonnes. But may not eat these.
* Alternative futures in terms of the change in world trade and how this may impact on people’s lives.
For example, the ‘Banana Wars’ was a six year disagreement caused by the EU granting special access to their markets for Caribbean banana farmers. TNCs that controlled Latin American crops filed a complaint for unfairly creating this agreement, and the countries of TNC operation imposed sanctions on EU products. Eventually, the EU agreed to reduce tariffs on Latin American bananas, which has negatively affected the Caribbean crops as they struggle to compete with competitive prices from the TNC plantations.
