Today we headed to organic banana and pineapple tours on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica!

When looking at the supply chains of bananas and pineapples compared to the coffee supply chain, the fruit supply chain is definitely more simple. The fruit grows and then it is transported from there. With coffee, it’s grown and may need to be roasted or changed in other places. While Costa Rica is small, its worldwide reach is incredible, especially in the pineapple business. Costa Rica is the number 1 pineapple producer in the world!

Sustainability was a key detail in the coffee farms, and it is the same for the fruit farms. Similar to the coffee farms, nothing goes to waste on the fruit farms. For example, on the banana farm, when they cut down the banana plant, they use the remnants for compost. I think that producers making a use for things that could be considered “waste” is something admirable about these Costa Rican producers we have seen thus far. Another sustainable method taken is that on the pineapple farm, they only use fertilizer made from natural, raw materials. Similar to the waste usage, I think keeping the process natural is another admirable thing that we have seen several Costa Rican producers do. Workers on the fruit farms can acquire some benefits for their difficult work. On the pineapple farms, the workers get paid a decent wage.

An issue that the fruit farms face is climate change. This is similar to the coffee farms. The banana plants need substantial amounts of water, and the summers are getting hotter. In order to fix this issue, the farm has to implement irrigation and work by sections. Additionally, in terms of bananas, many of them are clones. This could lead to a disease/fungus ruining many of them at a time. Pineapples also need a specific climate to grow in, and if the climate keeps changing, pineapple growth has the potential to struggle.

Therefore, after looking at all of these farms, if I were a worker I would prefer to work on the pineapple plantations. Here, workers get a paid slightly better, and I would be able to be surrounded by the best pineapple all day! Before this trip, I was never the biggest fan of pineapple. However, after today, I can confidently say pineapple is now one of my favorite foods!