"Banana republic" has become a derogatory term for banana-producing countries throughout Central America. Multinational companies came in decades ago and took control of many farms, using military force when necessary. What's changing about the ways bananas are produced in these countries?

Banana production in Central America has long taken place at the expense of the farm workers and the environment. Rainforests are destroyed to make way for banana plantations. Heavy pesticide use causes serious health problems for the workers, while also contaminating the water and harming wildlife. Plastic bags are used to protect harvested banana bunches from insects; the pesticide-contaminated bags are later thrown into large, toxic garbage heaps surrounding the farms. Wages for workers are low, and housing inadequate.

In response to these conditions, the environmental group Rainforest Alliance began a program in the early 1990s called the Better Banana Projects™ (BBP). The BBP set forth nine standards to promote the environmental sustainability of banana farms. The standards include:

• a 50% reduction in pesticide use
• better pay, housing, and safety standards for workers
• environmental education
• a complete halt to deforestation

The major American banana producer, Chiquita Brands International, has recently been certified by the BBP. The company has spent almost $20 million complying with BBP standards. Conservation groups have expressed support for Chiquita's accomplishments as part of a new trend: working to improve products that are not environmentally friendly, rather than boycotting the companies.

• Students can read about Chiquita's achievements in the ENN.com article, "Chiquita top banana with product certification."
  
  
• They can read more about banana production and the social and environmental problems in the CNN.com article, "Chiquita cleans up: But labor and environmental issues remain for banana producers and exporting countries."

Teaching the Problem

A major factor in pricing products is quality. Have students work the Stats! activity, Pricing Bananas to set prices for bananas based on color and size. In this activity, students also develop a formula for setting the average price of a bunch of bananas. (This SimLibrary activity requires Logal Express. Sign up for a free trial subscription.)

Analyzing the Problem

Ask students to discuss the following questions:

• What factors influence the price of bananas?
  
  
• How will your answer vary in January versus in June?
  
  
• Do you think people are willing to pay more for an "environmentally friendly" product?

Then have students conduct a survey to determine the answer to the last question. Discuss with them the need to take a wide sampling in terms of both number and demographic makeup of the people polled. Make sure that they come up with focused questions for the survey. If individuals respond that they are willing to pay more, students should ask how much more. Then have students present the survey results in chart form. If they need help deciding what type of chart is appropriate, they can refer to the following Destination MATH, MSC V activities, now available online.

• Exploring Line Graphs
• Exploring Bar Charts
• Interpreting Pie Charts

1. Have students read the ENN.com article, "Labels for a green planet: What exactly does an eco-label mean?"
   
   Ask them to record over a week-long period two lists of references: one for products that are environmentally marketed and one for products that are eco-labeled. If they have trouble coming up with references, encourage them to look at advertisements in magazines, e-stores, and on television, and to read labels for various products like clothing, food, and cleaning supplies. Then have the students draft guidelines for interpreting the ads and labels they may encounter.
   
   
2. The Better Banana Projects™ is just one of the Rainforest Alliance's many projects for rainforest conservation. The Alliance Web site also offers a section, For Kids & Teachers.
   
   
3. Bananas have also taken on political significance in a trade dispute between the United States and the European Union. The dispute, which began in 1993, has been dubbed the "banana wars."
   
   Divide the class into three groups, representing the United States and free trade, the European Union and protectionism, and an arbitration panel. Have the two sides of the dispute present their positions, and then ask the panel to make a judgment.
   
   Students can use the following sites to research their positions:
   
   
   • Global Issue's The Banana Trade War
   • The United States Mission to the European Union's The U.S.-EU Dispute on EU Banana Regime
   • The European Commission's EU-US Dispute on Banana
   • TIME Magazine's How to Become a Top Banana