The Dominican Republic is the largest banana exporting country in the Caribbean, and the 8th largest exporter in the world. Due to favourable climatic conditions that result in low prevalence of fungal infections such as black sigatoka, among other factors, it is the leading producer of organic bananas worldwide, accounting for around 55% of total banana exports.
A significant proportion of Dominican bananas- around 60-70% – are also certified Fairtrade.
The U.K. is the largest importer of Dominican bananas (accounting for around 25% of total exports) followed by Germany (around 20%).
A very diverse producer profile exists in the Dominican Republic – there are a significant number of small producers, growing their crops on land redistributed following agrarian reform, alongside medium-sized plantations and a handful of large plantations.
The Dominican banana industry’s workforce is made up of about 80% Haitian migrant workers, predominantly men, who migrate to work in the Dominican Republic without family and send remittances back home (although some bring their families with them).
| Population | 10,878,246 |
| Gross Domestic Product | 78.84 billion US$ |
| Agriculture | 11% of GDP |
| Total Land Area | 4.8442 million hectares |
| Cultivated Land | 2.429 million hectares |
| Total Banana Production | 1,209,268 tons |
| ITUC Global Rights Index | Rating 2 (Repeated violations of rights) |
