Case Study - Banana

Question 1

How many kinds of banana are there?

Answer 1

1,000 varieties

Question 2

What is the most common banana and what % production does it account for

Answer 2

. Cavendish
. 97%

Question 3

What % of production are bananas in Africa

Answer 3

70-80%

Question 4

How many tonnes of Cavendish are produced each year

Answer 4

50 billion tonnes

Question 5

How many bananas were produced in 2000 and in 2015

Answer 5

. 68.2 million - 2000
. 117.9 million - 2015
. Annual growth of 3.7%

Question 6

Where are bananas mostly produced

Answer 6

Asia, Latin America and Africa

Question 7

What country is the biggest producer of bananas and how many do they produce a year

Answer 7

India - 29 million tonnes a year

Question 8

How many hectares of land are dedicated to banana growth?

Answer 8

5.2 million

Question 9

What are the main drivers of global banana production

Answer 9

Increasing consumption requirements of rising populations in developing countries

Question 10

How has production expanded

Answer 10

. Increased harvested area - India and China doubled their area
. Improved productivity at farm level
. More fertilisers

Question 11

How much does the banana industry generate

Answer 11

$8 billion a year

Question 12

What % of bananas are traded at the international market

Answer 12

15%, rest is consumed locally

Question 13

What country has the biggest banana industry in terms of sales

Answer 13

Ecuador - nearly $3 million, accounted for 33% of total exports

Question 14

Where are exports from Africa and the Caribbean mostly traded

Answer 14

European market

Question 15

Where are exports from central and South America mostly traded

Answer 15

North America and Western Europe

Question 16

What % of global imports of bananas are from the EU

Answer 16

30%

Question 17

What country has the highest consumption rate of bananas

Answer 17

Philippines 60kg a year

Question 18

In rural areas of developing countries what % of calories intake do they provide

Answer 18

25%

Question 19

How many big multinational trading companies deal with the banana

Answer 19

5 including Chiquitta

Question 20

What % of available bananas do UK supermarkets sell to the consumer

Answer 20

80%

Question 21

What disease threatens banana production

Answer 21

TK4 attacks the roots of the plant

Question 22

Does banana disease threaten food security

Answer 22

. Limited impact as TK4 spread is gradual
. But once a disease is established the cant be eradicated

Question 23

Environmental impact of bananas

Answer 23

. Loss of biodiversity
. Damages soil and habitats

Question 24

Impact of climate change on bananas

Answer 24

. Decline in productivity
. Fairtrade has developed a climate strategy e.g. teach farmers to deal with red rust thrips

Question 25

(Banana wars) who did the EU prefer

Answer 25

Caribbean due to colonial history

Question 26

What were banana producers like in the Carribean

Answer 26

Small scale farmers who own and work their own land

Question 27

When were the banana wars

Answer 27

1992 until 2009

Question 28

What agreement ended the war

Answer 28

Geneva Banana Agreement

Question 29

What did the EU introduce for the Caribbean’s at the start of the war

Answer 29

Preferential tariff free import quotas to protect smaller family run farms

Question 30

What was banana production like in Latin America

Answer 30

. Produced cheaply on mechanised plantationss
. Exploitation of workers

Question 31

How did TNC’s react to the EU’s trarrifs

Answer 31

Complained to the white house and WTO

Question 32

Why did the US want to bring a case against the EU

Answer 32

To protect the interests of the US company Chiquita in Latin America

Question 33

How did the WTO rule

Answer 33

Against the EU and ordered them to cease discrimination

Question 34

What happened after the WTO’s ruling

Answer 34

Eu proposals dod not satisfy the larger producers so a trade war began between the EU and USA

Question 35

What did the USA do to the EU in the trade war

Answer 35

Impose tariffs on EU imports like whiskey

Question 36

What happened at the end of the war

Answer 36

A compromise was reached and the EU agreed to gradually reduce tariffs on Latin American bananas

Question 37

What did the EU reduce tariffs from and to in Latin America

Answer 37

From £176 to £114

Question 38

How much did the EU pledge to help Caribbean farmers

Answer 38

$200 million

Question 39

What % of bananas do the EU import from Latin America

Answer 39

70%