Bananas are a fruit native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia and Australia. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics. Bananas are among the most widely consumed foods in the world. , and
are grown in at least 107 countries.
    Transnational fruit companies  and supermarket chains  buy enormous quantities of bananas and competition has led to reduced margins in recent years which in turn has led to lower prices for growers. Banana farmers have historically received a low unit price for their produce and been subjected to poor working conditions.  Today, most banana workers continue to labor for low pay and are often exposed to toxic pesticides.  Child labor and violent repression against workers who
organize unions have also been documented .
    Tonight on Circle A Radio we'll look into the marketing of the banana…why do Westerners  think of the banana as a staple food item and not a luxury? We talk to  Peter Chapman, author of Bananas!: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World  about  the mass-marketing of the banana, United Fruit's involvement in Guatemala, and their covert links to the US government, . We also talk to Michael Mc Millen, banana buyer  for Organically grown company in Clackamas, who
discusses banana farming and the journey of the golden fruit from the tropics to our shopping carts. Finally, we talk with Peter O'Driscoll, executive director of Action Aid  USA about human rights and the banana market today. Stay tuned.

Resources:

Human Rights/ Labor:

Action Aid- The Real Cost of Your Bananas-Photo Story

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/index.asp?page_id=100826 

US Labor Education in the Americas Project-  Banana Worker Justice Initiative

http://www.usleap.org/node/227 

International Labor Rights Forum

http://www.laborrights.org/end-violence-against-trade-unions 

Solidarity Center- AFL-CIO Global Worker Solidarity

http://www.solidaritycenter.org/ 

Human Rights Watch- Report on Ecuadoran Banana Plantations Human Rights Abuses

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2002/04/25/ecuado3876.htm 

Alliance For Global Justice:

http://www.clrlabor.org/afgj/index.html 

 Sustainable/ Fair Trade:

Banana Link 

http://www.bananalink.org.uk/

Transfair USA

http://www.transfairusa.org/