Many people know bananas are the world´s most popular fruit and Ecuador is the world´s largest producer of bananas. Many people know that agriculture can be one of the worst offenders of the child labor industry. What many fruit and vegetable corporations do not want you to know is the effects pesticides can have against its workers, the land, and the consumers. Many people eat bananas because they are a delicous way to eat something healthy, however 60% of a bananas nutrients come from its water content. Pesticides in bananas is not healthy for you, the banana workers or our planet. Thank you for visiting this site. Consumer awareness is the most effective tool possible.
The only way to visually distinguish if a banana field is organic, is to observe its "monte/ground cover" of where it is growing. If there are pesticides there is no grass or ground cover present. Here a worker cuts the ground cover at an organic field by hand with a machete.
Ripening bananas at an Urocal field, an organic banana cooperative in Machala. Plastic sheets between the bananas help naturally preserve their humidity.
Erasmo Leon, shows me the organic seal. He is Chief of Operations for Urocal and has been with the organization since its courageous beginnings.
An advertisement for a pesticide company on one of the production plants.
These fundas/plastic bags help the bananas stay in a constant state of humidity and protect against insects.
Ready to be eaten. Bananas this ripe are called "crema/cream" and are unable to be exported due to their fragility.
The Urocal representative was proud to show the restroom and showers he had for his workers. He explained restrooms much less consideration for the workers is usually unheard of.
A pesticide plane. They are required to stay as low to the crops as possible to avoid the wind current of the pesticide and also protect the workers. This is clearly not happening here.
Mulch is one way to naturally keep insects away and also conserve moisture for the roots of the trees.
The banana leaves protect the bananas from the sun. Organic bananas usually have fewer leaves as there is no poison to protect them from rot or insects. This means they are usually sweeter due to receiving more sun and also means they run the risk of higher fragility in exportation.
Joaquin Vasquez, president of Urocal.
A Chilean banana plant. This is where the boxing of the bananas for shipping happens.
Cacao is also grown on the Urocal banana fields. Only organic fields can intermingle cacao or other crops with the bananas as there is no pesticide to kill the diversity of the crops.
Two banana workers on their way to work. The pesticide being sprayed cannot hinder their commute.
All text and photos by Michelle Gutierrez
