The banana producers and exporters associations from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and the Dominican Republic report that Eurospin, an Italian retailer, has advertised bananas certified by the Rainforest Alliance at €0.85 per kilogram.
In a statement the Latam banana producers said such offers and promotions of bananas from Latin American origins are recurrent in various countries of the European Union through different retailers and discount stores.
"These practices prevent consumers from understanding the true efforts of producing a sustainable banana that complies with European policies and the extensive certifications required. These types of promotions result in the price of bananas historically remaining stagnant or depreciating compared to other products in the same category. It is crucial to break this vicious cycle, which begins with the consumer, to allow our product to be valued appropriately for the effort required to produce a sustainable banana.
We emphasize that the entire banana supply chain, particularly supermarkets and discount stores, must take collective responsibility to achieve the sustainability goals promoted by Europe. If Europe is advocating for due diligence at a regional level within the supply chain, it is essential that more European stakeholders engage in meaningful discussions on these issues and embrace their role in fostering true shared responsibility.
We urge Eurospin and other European supermarkets and discounters to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of an industry that significantly benefits European consumers and the European economy by participating in discussions on sustainability, shared responsibility, and due diligence at the World Banana Forum," the Latam banana producers statement ends.
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