In Guatemala and Honduras, dozens more farms covering thousands of hectares are enrolled in the program and making the required changes. On certified farms, deforestation has stopped and reforestation programs initiated. Workers get good wages, proper safety equipment, improved housing, schools for children, training for adults, and medical care. Pesticide use has declined dramatically, and the most dangerous chemicals outlawed entirely. Soil conservation and waste management programs are in place.
Wildlife is protected, and the edges of natural streams are reforested.
In addition to its positive impacts on large companies, in Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador the BBP has affected smaller operations as well, such as a cooperative of 35 small farms in Ecuador. Some of the farms are only five acres, but they are the sole source of income and employment for the families that own them. Through certification, the farmers have increased banana production and quality, improved sanitation and safety, and made the farms more hospitable to wildlife. The ECO-O.K. Banana Project has found a new way to address environmental concerns without hurting the livelihood of the banana companies and their employees. It's an example of a three-way partnership between government, industry and environmentalists.