As well as bananas, we now work to improve conditions of workers in pineapple production, where the supply chain involves many of the same players and the same story of social, economic and environmental abuses as that of the bananas. The pineapple sector is becoming an integral part of the work of Banana Link and of our trade union partners who represent pineapple workers' demands in Latin America and Africa.
Photo:Pineapple cultivation in Costa Rica 2009
The next few years will see an increase in Banana Links work on pineapples following news that we have been successful in securing a EuropeAid grant to work with three European partners (in France, Germany and the Czech Republic) on banana and pineapple labour standards in retail supply chains, starting January 2010.
Following EUROBAN’s decision to incorporate pineapples into their agenda (now European Banana and Agro-Industrial Action Network) Banana Link prepared a presentation, in collaboration with our Costa Rican trade union partners, for EUROBANs previous meeting summarising information on key issues in the industry of the world's main fresh pineapple exporter. Click here to download the presentation.
We have also developed a list of key audio-visual and printed media resources and have consolidated our relationships with other organisations who could be potential partners in this work on pineapples.
Useful website links:
www.detrasdelapina.org - Costa Rican Campaign website against Pineapple Expansion (Only available in Spanish)
www.oxfam.de/download/endstation_ladentheke.pdf - A report by Oxfam Germany on Costa Rican pineapples and German supermarket supply chains, April 2008 (German only with summary in English)
www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/VS_Costa_Rica_EN.pdf - Union view magazine article "The High Social Price of Exported Pineapples", ITUC-CSI, December 2008 (also available in French and Spanish)
www.icco.nl - "Workers Rights in Pineapple Plantations in Costa Rica", August 2009, Dutch only (English and Spanish translations available shortly)
Short films on the pineapple trade:
"Pura vida?" A film by Jan Nimmo on pesticides and health and safety
issues in banana and pineapple production in Costa Rica (English),
2005. Available to purchase from Banana Link.
"Ananas", France 2/Comiti Productions (27 mins in French), July 2009. Available to purchase from Banana Link.
"A Bon Entendeur", consumer programme on TSR (Swiss TV in French), Feb 2007.
Banana Trade News Bulletin -
The new issue of Banana Trade News Bulletin provides a comprehensive guide to the latest developments in the international banana trade.
