Crazy for All Good Bananas

Bananas are a bone of contention in my household.  I pretty much stopped buying them two years ago when I started my journey into eating locally, organically or ethically.  Unfortunately, bananas couldn’t be fitted into any of those categories, much to the dismay of my husband and children.  The kids were delighted to get a bunch of bananas in their Xmas stockings, but I realise that puts me into a whole new realm of unconventional.

Banana growing has a long history of using devastating toxic chemicals such as paraquat, and a disturbing history of human rights abuse.  While slave labour is not officially used to grow bananas, workers on banana plantations are amongst the lowest paid in the world; just like the growers of coffee and cocoa beans. 

Historically, workers on banana plantations in Central America were exposed to herbicide sprays which were found to cause many health effects, including sterility.  In the 1970’s a successful lawsuit found the Dole food company guilty of continuing to use aerial sprays despite being warned of the potential harm to workers.  Using child labour has been a tradition in some growing areas that dates back to the 1800’s.

Not all bananas are created equal, and for the first time a company called All Good has imported Fair-Trade bananas into New Zealand.  Under the Fair-Trade system the growers are paid a living wage, which means that more families can now afford to send their children to school.  Fair-Trade also pays what is called a ‘social premium’ to the communities where the plantations are, which helps to improve their living conditions.

Fair-Trade also promotes organic growing, and while this is particularly difficult for bananas, they have managed to eliminate the use of the most harmful chemicals.   Our climate in New Zealand is unsuitable for commercial banana growing, so all the bananas need to be fumigated on entry to the country.  All Good are working on ways of avoiding even this requirement.

All Good was founded on the principle that food that is good for you should taste good and be good for the people who grow it.  Their bananas might cost a little more up-front, but I always look to the added benefits that extra few cents is buying me.  I get guilt-free food which is helping to improve people’s lives, having been grown with sustainable practices that are no longer degrading the environment.  The social premium helps to pay for things like free medical care, food baskets and improved education for the community.

Right now the nearest place that you can buy Fair-Trade bananas is Whakatane Pak n Save.  So I’m signing up to become a Fairtrade Banana Revolutionary and campaigning to bring Fair-Trade bananas to Opotiki.  I pledge to buy at least a bunch of Fair-trade bananas every week for a year, exclusively from the first store in Opotiki who offers them for sale.  You will have my devotion and loyalty, as well as the everlasting gratitude of my banana loving family; just bring me some All Good Bananas.