In the morning, we traveled about two hours from Heredia to a banana plantation. We walked around the farm, observing the different banana plants and various fruit growing there. Although I had thought bananas grew on trees, I learned that they technically grow on plants. Since the trunk is contains of leaves and water, not wood, it is not considered a tree. Banana plants are the largest herb. After the banana tour and lunch, the group headed over to an organic pineapple plantation. There, we learned about the growing process and tried delicious, fresh pineapple. I have never experienced pineapple so sweet and ripe.
Coffee has a very complex supply chain with numerous steps and processing required such as sorting, peeling, drying, and grinding. On the other hand, pineapple and bananas have a very simple supply chain. They require little processing like coffee. Products made from pineapple and bananas like fruit juice and banana flour do require a complex process. However, just the selling of the fruit is fairly simple. Like coffee, pineapple and bananas both need to be picked by workers numerous times. Most pickers are from Nicaragua.
The coffee process prioritizes sustainability by using each byproduct of the coffee bean. The wrappings and shells are burned to fuel the mechanical drying, and the sun is used for drying when possible. The coffee pickers are given benefits such as housing and food. Growing of bananas by the brand Chiquita is not very sustainable because the company sprays large amounts of chemicals on their crops. Bananas grown by smaller plantations prioritize sustainability by using more natural, organic fertilizers. They make sure not to leave chopped leaves on the ground to not support different fungi. Consumers have the power to increase sustainable farming of bananas by choosing to buy organic. The organic pineapple plantation we visited is very sustainable. They use only fertilizers made from natural materials such as chicken feathers. To discourage moths from laying eggs on the leaves, they use pepper. They plow the soil regularly each week to kill fly eggs so that the community around them does not have numerous flies. Finally, they pay their workers a higher price of a minimum of 20-22 dollars per day.
Banana and pineapple plantations both face the threat of diseases and fungi. To combat these diseases, more organic brands use natural fertilizer. Brands like Chiquita spray synthetic chemicals. Farmers also quickly remove and compost any scraps from harvesting like stems or leaves to avoid fungi from feeding there. Another threat is erosion around the pineapple plants. Farmers put plastic bags or herbicides in their gardens around the plants to avoid erosion and reduce the temperature of the soil. Finally, to avoid moths laying eggs on plants farmers put pepper on the leaves.
If I worked at a plantation, I would prefer to be working on a coffee plantation. I have a good eye for the ripened cherries, and I find harvesting coffee’s small fruit easier than the large and heavy pineapples and bananas.
