World Trade in Bananas Flashcards
Where do bananas rank in terms of their importance as a food product in developing countries?
They are the 4th most important food product within least developed countries
For how many people are bananas a staple food?
Around 400 million people
How many calories are in 100g of banana?
50
How much of an adults daily potassium requirement does one banana provide?
More than the daily amount
Where do bananas rank in terms of being the most traded agricultural commodity?
They are the 5th most traded agricultural food commodity
How many tonnes of bananas were exported in 2013?
16.5 million tonnes
Where were the bananas mainly exported from?
Latin America and the Caribbean
In what type of climate are bananas grown?
In hot, rainy lowlands of tropical regions
What happens to many of the bananas in India, Brazil and much of Africa?
They are consumed domestically
Which country is the largest producer of bananas globally?
India
Where does India export its bananas to?
The Middle East and other parts of Asia
Where does the Philippines export its bananas to?
Japan and other parts of East Asia
How do banana growers prevent disease?
They treat the bananas with chemicals throughout the production cycle
How many kg of chemicals are applied in commercial banana plantations by TNCs every year?
30kg of active ingredients per hectare per year
What type of chemicals are used to prevent disease in bananas?
Fungicides, insecticides and herbicides
What other chemicals are applied to bananas?
Fertilisers and the bananas are washed with disinfectant
How do bananas rank in terms of agrochemical input into the environment?
The banana industry has the secondn largest agrochemical input into the environment
What are the environmental impacts of banana plantations?
Deforestation
Waste
Soil fertility
Loss of biodiversity
Why is there a problem with biodiversity as a result of banana plantations?
Pollutants run into water courses
How much waste is produced from growing bananas?
For every one tonne of bananas there are two tonnes of waste
Why is there a problem with soil fertility as a result of banana plantations?
Contaminants get into the soil
Which two groups of producers dominate the banana trade?
The ACP group
The ‘dollar producers’
What is the ACP group?
Africa, Caribbean and Pacific
Who are the ‘dollar producers’?
Central American republics (mainly Ecuador and Columbia) controlled by US TNCs
What is the pattern of banana trade?
From LICs to HICs
What percentage of exported Bananas are from the Caribbean and Latin America?
80%
What percentage of the banana export market does Asia have?
17%
Who are the largest importers?
The EU and the USA
What percentage of exported bananas are consumed by the USA?
27%