Organic banana farming

Organic banana farming

There is a push to increase organic banana farming in those climates that can support banana production. Whether this business can sustain a grower is not just a silly question. It's people's livelihoods at stake.

For many years, slash-and-burn farming depleted the earth of much of its oxygen-producing lands. This hardly describes organic banana farming: cut the jungle back, apply chemicals to refurbish the poor jungle soil, plant coffee or bananas, harvest and sell to the world, but reap minimal wages for all of this effort. There are still lawsuits pending against many of the U.S. chemical and big grocery distribution companies for the debilitating farming methods used.

Well things had to change. And they have changed in many of the warmer climate countries of Central and South America, Africa, Australia and the Philippines. Did you know that bananas are grown in 119 countries? Among them, organic banana farming is becoming more popular.

How is it different from 'the old way'? One method of organic banana farming uses naturally occurring, environmentally friendly microbes feasting on a vegetable mash made up of a variety of cooked grains, letting them ferment. To this mash is added a variety of nutrient-rich materials: charcoal, molasses, milk, chicken manure, forest soil, pig feed, and overstory leaf litter. This mixture is moistened and allowed to compost for eight days. Two handfuls of this compost are put at the base of each transplant.

Additionally, just like 'shade coffee', the new organic banana farming methods have the banana trees planted in the shade of the taller forest growth, which is their natural preference. Combine this with careful leaf pruning, topsoil cleaning and periodic enrichment with the mash compost aids in good, clean banana tree growth. With the use of pest-resistant banana varieties, the chemical sprays necessary to keep the two funguses that affect bananas at bay can be reduced by up to 55%!

Why buy organic bananas? The majority (59%) of customers answered: for the "long term" benefits. Nutritional value, whether perceived or real, was listed second (21%) with taste coming in third (14%) among reasons why consumers buy organic bananas. The long term benefits to the customer is the same for the organic banana farming community: safe products from a healthy ecological environment.

Is there really enough of a market for organic bananas to sustain organic banana farming? The proof is in the sales! The market for organic bananas in the United States and the European community is increasing at over 50% a year. And even though the cost of an organically grown banana is up to three times the cost of a non-organically grown banana, sales and sales growth continue.

For those of you who would like to see the earth treated well, to make sure that we have enough plants producing oxygen for us and many generations to come, to help bolster organic banana farming and farmers worldwide, stop reading this right now. Get up and go buy an organic banana today! You are helping the world by helping yourself first!

P.S. No, we don't have an organic banana farming concession. We just thought you might enjoy doing something new and earth-friendly. Please let us know if you can taste a difference between organic and non-organic bananas! AND, which you prefer!