May 2001 Bananas are the UK s most popular fruit and the most valuable food product sold in British supermarkets. Yet banana farmers and workers around the world face extremely difficult and often dangerous working conditions. Bananas carrying the Fairtrade Mark, the independent guarantee that the producers have had a better deal, are now available in Britain. Without the Fairtrade Mark, there are no guarantees that they are fairly traded, or that the producers have received a better deal.
Bananas are cheap partly because of the conditions under which they are grown.
The over-use of agricultural chemicals damages the environment and the health of the people exposed to them. Although some chemicals have now been banned, extremely hazardous substances are still being used. Maria, wife of banana worker Juan, gave birth to a baby whose head was four times bigger than his body. I couldn't even hold him because it seemed to make things worse. It's the worst thing that can happen to anyone.