History of modern banana plantations in the Americas facts for kids

Bananas have been grown for thousands of years. But it took a long time for them to be shipped all over the world. This became possible when three things came together: fast steamships, refrigeration (cooling), and railroads. These important changes happened in the Caribbean in the 1870s. This led to huge banana farms, often owned by big companies like Dole and Chiquita Brands International.

How the Banana Trade Began

The story of the global banana trade started with railroads. In the United States, business people began building railways across the Isthmus of Panama. This narrow strip of land connects North and South America. In 1871, Minor C. Keith won the right to build a railroad through Costa Rica.

A few years later, in 1876, a sea captain named Lorenzo Dow Baker had an idea. He was in Jamaica and bought 160 bunches of bananas. He hoped to sell them in Philadelphia to make up for losses from his trip. His plan worked! He quickly started shipping bananas from Jamaica to North America. Later, he teamed up with Andrew Preston to create the Boston Fruit Company. This was the first company to handle every part of the banana business.

The Boston Fruit Company later joined with other businesses. They formed the United Fruit Company. This company eventually became what we know today as Chiquita Brands International. A big reason for their success was using early forms of refrigeration. This kept the bananas fresh during the long sea journey from the Caribbean.

Big Companies and "Banana Republics"

The large banana companies gained a lot of power. They often owned the railroads and shipping lines. This gave them almost complete control over the economies of countries where they operated. Banana exports became very important for these Central American countries. They brought in most of the money from other countries.

Because of their money and connections, these companies had a lot of influence over local politics. This led to the term "banana republic". An author named O. Henry used this term in the late 1800s. He lived in Honduras and saw how much power these companies had. The companies sometimes even hired their own security forces. They also asked the United States government for help if they felt their business was in danger.

What Happened When Companies Grew

Banana farming for export started in Central America in the 1880s. At first, many small or medium-sized farms grew the bananas. But as big companies built railroads, they bought up land around them. They used their control over trade to push out smaller farms.

These companies also brought in thousands of new workers. Many came from other parts of the country. Others came from the English-speaking Caribbean. Company rules often gave better jobs to English speakers. The top jobs usually went to people from the U.S. People of African descent from the Caribbean often got skilled but lower-level jobs.

The companies said they paid better wages than local farms. However, wages for farm workers were still low. Companies tried to keep them low. As a trade-off, company workers could use company schools, hospitals, and housing. But this housing was often separated. "White Zones" were for company leaders. These areas had nicer homes, fun places, and better schools. Other workers lived outside these zones. This was because racial discrimination from the United States was brought to Central America.

The companies bought much more land than they actually used. They learned that banana plants could be easily damaged by hurricanes. They also found out about a plant sickness called Panama disease. This disease first appeared in Panama in the 1910s. It quickly destroyed banana plants in affected areas. So, companies bought extra land as a backup. In countries like Guatemala, where many people didn't own land, this caused problems. It made it harder for land reform efforts to happen. During the Cold War, companies sometimes said land reform was "Communist." They then asked the U.S. to send military help to stop these changes.

Banana Varieties and Fair Trade

By the 1960s, Panama disease had spread widely. This forced banana exporters to make a big change. They used to grow Gros Michel bananas, which were easily affected by the disease. They had to switch to growing Cavendish bananas. These bananas are resistant to the disease.

In the late 1990s, new efforts began to sell "Fair trade bananas." Different groups and companies work on this. Their goal is to make sure small banana farmers get a better price for their bananas. They also aim to improve wages for farm workers.