Latin American banana growers seek solution to increased production costs

Together, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and the Dominican Republic represent 65% of world banana production and are the largest exporters in the world.

These countries have a total of 145.000 hectares of certified plantations destined for export to different markets, such as Europe, which receives 75% of that fruit, according to local media.

​​The representatives of the banana and plantain producing and exporting sector of these 7 countries recently met for the first time with Santiago Gowland, the CEO of the Rainforest Alliance which is one of the world leaders in sustainability certification, in order to address the implementation of the new 2022 sustainability standard.

Increasing inflation and the rise in the cost of fertilizers, packaging, plastics, fuel, as well as the rise in freight costs and pressure from supermarkets threaten the economic sustainability of the sector, which is key to ensuring social and environmental sustainability.

Both the Rainforest Alliance and the producers concluded that the current scenario is harmful to farmers, who, for the most part, are small and medium-sized family businesses essential to local economies.

In relation to this, according to Gowland, the Rainforest Alliance negotiates with the supermarkets, where the producers should be incorporated, a point that was also agreed upon by the representatives of the banana industry.

source: eluniverso.com