Bananalink are a small not-for-profit co-operative campaigning for fair and sustainable banana trade. The labour force often experience long hours and poor working conditions worsened by exposure to toxic pesticides and are paid only 1-2% of the cost we pay for our bananas. Almost 40% goes to supermarket retailers.
This is only likely to get worse as supermarkets race to produce ‘cheaper bananas’ on our shelves. Independent trade unions trying to fight for rights are often suppressed by powerful MNC’s and reports even show some trade union leaders being killed (Guatemala).
Large scale banana cultivation on plantations (e.g. West Africa & Latin America) causes pollution of ecosystems through pesticide use and loss of biodiversity through monoculture of agriculture & deforestation- negatively impacting the local communities and environment.
This is obviously highly unsustainable. Bananalink are using an example of the mainstream theoretical framework approach to SC in ‘cleaning production chains’ and encouraging people to buy ‘greener’ bananas- an example of the theory of shopping to sustainability! Bananalink are raising public awareness by providing thought-provoking & easily accessible education packs, films, CDs, booklets etc. This information then encourages ‘ACTION’; campaigning to managers of supermarkets and companies and to government MPs to help increase fair-trade availability in our shops which reduces the externalisation of costs and ensures fair pay to all actors involved in production.
http://www.iufdocuments.org/www/documents/Dole2009Brochure-e.pdf this useful document looks at the success of Bananalink in producing sustainable consumption patterns with ‘Dole’ Banana Company.
Despite some successes of multilateral dialogue and achievement of advance in some cases; progress is still too fragile and on too many occasions the company’s words have not been translated on the ground. Voluntary codes of conduct, audits and various private certification schemes are insufficient to ensure real and sustained progress on the ground as each of the stages have their own agenda (normally increase their own profit!). Further this approach faces many of the limitations of a mainstream theoretical approach; can we rely on consumers voting with their purses? Not everyone will be able to afford to make the change and those outside of markets are completely ignored. The Solution? More recognition of Independent Banana Trade Unions and empowerment of local communities in verifying and managing their own rights?
We really do need to get the world sorted out. The retailer does not deserve 40% of the profits for basically taking the banana off a truck and putting it on a shelf.
ReplyDeleteGet Bananaman to front the efforts of the Trade Unions. He'd get things done.
if only it were that simple hey!
ReplyDelete