Bananamour

"The legacy of American banana corporations is a dark one. Earlier this year, Chiquita admitted to paying $1.7 million to a rightwing Colombian paramilitary group that is considered a terrorist organization by the US government. Chiquita is one of five major multinationals that dominate the US banana industry, controlling over 95% of the business.

However, there is an alternative to these corporate-controlled bananas that is growing in both producing and consuming countries.

In Costa Rica, Chiquita used to rule the banana trade until it pulled out in 1980 following a devastating hurricane. Some of its ex-workers joined together to form the Coopetrabasur cooperative. Together they purchased the Chiquita plantation, and now each of its 70 members own a piece of the land. As a Fair Trade banana producer, Coopetrabasur has developed measures to protect the environment, expand business, and improve the quality of life for its members." (Thanks Marcita)