Fair trade bananas facts for kids

Fairtrade bananas are all about making sure that the people who grow and pick bananas get a fair price and good working conditions. It's not a specific brand you buy, but a special way of trading. When you buy Fairtrade bananas, a little extra money goes back to the farmers and workers. This helps them improve their lives and communities.

Many groups work to make Fairtrade bananas happen. For example, an organization called Banafair started bringing Fairtrade bananas to Germany in the 1980s. Later, in 1997, Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO) was created. This group set up rules and standards for Fairtrade bananas around the world. FLO is now called Fair Trade International. They make sure bananas have the International FairTrade Certification Mark. FLO-CERT is another group that checks farms to ensure they meet these important social and environmental standards.

The World of Bananas

A few very large companies control most of the banana trade globally. Because of this, the money paid to banana growers and workers is often a very small part of what you pay in the supermarket. There have been conflicts, sometimes called "banana wars," over how bananas are traded. In some places, big banana companies have been involved in serious problems with workers and unions. This has sometimes led to groups causing harm to people who were trying to improve workers' rights.

How Fairtrade Bananas Are Certified

Fair Trade International has different rules for small banana farms and very large banana plantations. To get the Fair Trade Certification Mark, small farmers must work together. They create a group of workers and managers to decide how to use the extra money they get from Fairtrade sales. This money must be shared fairly among all the working members of their group.

On larger banana farms, the extra Fairtrade money can only be used to make working and living conditions better for everyone. Fairtrade rules strictly forbid forced labor and children under 16 years old from working. Dangerous jobs are also not allowed for young people. Teenagers aged 16 or older must not work so many hours that they can't go to school. Workers must also be allowed to join a union. They must be paid at least the average wage for their area or the minimum wage.

While Fairtrade banana workers' regular wages might not be much higher than others, they often get benefits. These benefits improve their overall lives. However, some small banana farmers might still struggle to earn enough for their basic needs. The rules about how the extra money is used sometimes mean they can't use it directly for daily living costs.

Fairtrade Price and Extra Money

Fairtrade banana growers receive extra money, called a "premium," to help improve their communities. In 2013, FairTrade Certified banana producers got $1 US dollar for every box of bananas they sold. This money is invested in community projects. FairTrade farmers are also guaranteed a minimum price for their bananas. This helps cover the costs of growing bananas in a sustainable way. The minimum price can change depending on the region and market conditions. However, the FairTrade Minimum Premium always stays the same. Both the FairTrade prices and premiums are the same for large plantations and small farms.

Helping the Environment

Growing bananas on a very large scale often uses more pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers than other fruits. Fairtrade banana farming encourages practices that are better for the environment. These sustainable methods might make the bananas a bit more expensive in the store. However, many people are happy to pay more because they know it helps both the environment and the farmers.

Learning More About Fairtrade

Because the banana trade is a huge global business, many studies have looked at Fairtrade bananas. These studies explore things like how Fairtrade affects local communities, prices, and even organic farming.

Some people have also discussed challenges with Fairtrade certification programs. For example, some research has suggested that the rules might sometimes focus more on what the market wants than on what farmers truly need.

The Foncho Campaign

From 2014 to 2016, the Fairtrade Foundation ran a campaign featuring a farmer named Albeiro Alfonso ‘Foncho’ Cantillo. Foncho is from Colombia and is part of a Fairtrade-certified farming group. He became the face of a video campaign for schools. He even visited the UK to talk about Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight.