Before the bananas reach the German consumer, they have a long journey behind them, since bananas grow in the tropics and subtropics. Given the oversupply of bananas in the world there is hard price competition between a number of multinational producers, who dominate the cultivation and trade. These price battles only reinforced by the competitive market in Germany. The supermarket chains lure consumers with special offers in the shop.
"A consequence of the prices wars is low wages for the workers on the plantations. In many growing regions unions working to improve and increase wages are also suppressed," said Friedel Hütz-Adams, banana expert at Südwind. "Another massive problem is the use of large quantities of pesticides in many growing areas. This often happens without taking into account the adverse effects on employees."
The study "von der Staude bis zum Konsumenten. Die Wertschöpfungskette von Bananen." (From the plant to the consumer. The value of bananas.) Is on the website www.suedwind-institut.de and can be downloaded or ordered through [email protected].