Bananas are one of the most consumed foods in the world and a key product for the economy of Latin America and the Caribbean, the region where 80% of the world’s exports of the fruit originate. However, banana crops are also particularly vulnerable to climate change, and the devastating effects on its cultivation could begin to manifest in the next 50 years.
A report published in May by Christian Aid, titled Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World’s Favorite Fruit, found that 60% of banana-growing areas are at risk of disappearing within the next five decades due to extreme weather, rising temperatures, and pests. Researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing the changes in banana-producing areas using high-resolution satellite imagery.
The study explains that banana crops require temperatures of between 15 and 35 degrees Celsius (59-95ºF) to thrive, so many current production areas could become too hot in the near future. In Latin America, the report says, this could translate into an “unprecedented crisis.” Bananas are also an essential food for millions of people in producing countries. According to Christian Aid, more than 400 million people worldwide depend on bananas for between 15% and 27% of their daily calorie intake.
Central America, especially vulnerable
Two Central American countries — Costa Rica and Guatemala — rank third and fourth among the world’s largest producers. The study highlights these two cases because their banana industries could be among the most-affected by rising temperatures.
In Guatemala, bananas are the main source of export income and an important part of the local diet, especially in rural communities. This “strong economic dependence,” according to the study, increases the risk of a crisis, although the serious consequences for banana farming are already being felt by producers.
Aurelia Pop Xo, a 53-year-old Guatemalan farmer cited in the report, said that climate change “has been killing” her crops. “What’s happening is that my plantation has been dying [...] In the past there was a prediction that this would happen in the future, but it has come earlier, and this is because we are not taking care of our motherland, our ecosystems, and this is very worrying for our kids and especially for our grandkids,” the farmer said. Her greatest fear, she added, is that “perhaps this situation is going to worsen in the future” and she will end up losing her entire plantation.
In Costa Rica, where the banana industry accounts for more than 100,000 jobs, the effects of climate on banana production are “increasingly evident,” according to the National Banana Corporation (Corbana), a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the development of the banana sector. In an official statement, Corbana stated that “the most intense dry periods put the crop at risk” and that, in this scenario, ensuring food security requires “implementing more sustainable practices.”
Erick Bolaños, Director of Technical Assistance at Corbana, stated in response to a question from EL PAÍS that these practices include “the use of plant covers on the soil to conserve moisture,” “better use of fertilizers” (Costa Rica is the country that uses the most agrochemicals in the world, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization) to “minimize environmental impact,” and “harvest scheduling” to “optimize the efficiency of the production process.”
Impact on workers
The Christian Aid study also warns that banana sector workers will be increasingly exposed to adverse weather conditions. Occupational hazards in the sector could increase because extreme temperatures and intense weather events create “more hazardous working environments.” According to the report, the climate crisis and associated biodiversity loss require “reviewing current food production systems, which depend on the increasing use of agrochemicals.” It also suggests that governments must “make progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, restrict the most toxic chemicals, and support the transition to more sustainable food systems.”
Banana producers face “unpredictable weather patterns, high temperatures, flooding, hurricanes, and an increase in pests and diseases.” Added to this are rising production costs, which “further complicate the situation for those whose livelihoods are already fragile.” Without fair prices, the report warns, producers “cannot meet their basic needs.”
As one of the possible solutions, the study suggests that consumers opt for “fair trade” bananas to ensure better compensation for producers. It also recommends consuming organically produced bananas as a way to reduce the use of agrochemicals, which are responsible for a large portion of polluting emissions and the deterioration of ecosystems.
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