All you need to know about bananas
A fairer fruit
- There are 57 certified producer groups in ten countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa supplying Fairtrade bananas to twenty countries in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
- Fairtrade minimum prices are calculated to at least cover average local costs of production - this price can be over double what producers would normally receive.
Banana farmer, St Lucia
Conrad James has been selling his bananas into the Fairtrade market for over six years
Ten things you never knew about one of New Zealand's favourite fruits:
The banana is the most popular fruit in the world - people spend over $25 billion a year on the fruit globally.
The banana trade is big business. It comes fifth in terms of world trade in agricultural produce ... after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa.
Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.
Bananas contain tryptophan and vitamin B6, known to help make you feel happy.
Wild bananas originated in Asia, and have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years.
Bananas are grown in at least 107 countries, with the production concentrated in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America because of weather conditions.
Bananas are available all year around. They are harvested every day of the year.
Banana diseases are a major problem for growers, threatening production and export. Despite their importance to food security in the developing world and to consumption in richer countries, remarkably little is invested in research to find solutions to disease problems and into sustainable production systems.
The majority of banana plantation workers do not earn enough to live and support their families ... some earn less than $3 a day.
While banana sales and demand soar, prices have plummeted, having a devastating effect on banana producers.
