On the afternoon of January 30,
2015 our group of thirteen college women (a.k.a. Las Gringas) had the privilege
of visiting a large scale banana plantation. Jaime, a guest lecturer taught us
about the banana's growth cycle, environmental problems concerning bananas, and
health problems in banana plantation workers. I found it ironic how little any
of us knew about banana farming despite bananas being the most widely eaten
fruit in the world. I have eaten bananas my entire life yet I knew absolutely
nothing about them prior to this field trip other than the simple facts that
they were delicious, yellow, and knew no seasons (they are always in
supermarkets). Jaime taught us that bananas are the largest herb in the world.
Much deforestation has happened in order to make room for banana plantations.
Jaime said that the 'Coryoyo' bananas most commonly grown in Central American
originated from the Philipines and that there are millions of strains of
bananas since they are so easy to cross with both animal pollinaters and the
wind. What interested me most on this field trip was learning about the health
risks of the plantation workers and the enviromental implications of using
extravagant amounts of pesticides on the crops.
The
worker population consists of roughly half Nicaraguans. Costa Rica is the 2nd
country in the world with the most immigrants (mostly Nicaraguans). The workers
in these plantations have little protection from the harsh chemicals they
administer the plants. In most cases the only thing between them and the
chemicals is their long sleeve shirts and pants. These chemicals can cause the
plantation workers to become infertile and their babies to have complications.
Illegal
chemicals are still frequently sold under the table. The genetically modified
banana plants cannot survive without the use of chemicals to protect them from
insects, fungus, etc. It is common for the plantations to hide the actual
chemicals they are using from the inspectors and show them legal chemicals
instead. Aside from pesticides, a substantial amount of fertilizer is used.
When it rains, the fertilizer is washed into the river which causes an
increased amount of algae. The increased amount of algae kills the fish and in
turn disrupts ecosystems and habitats alike. During the hour visit we saw many
planes fly overhead and drop clouds of chemicals over the plantation.
Upon
departing from the plantation I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Is this the
future of agriculture: a system that harms both the workers and the
environment? If not, where does change begin? How long will it take to secure
an agriculture system that is safe? These are difficult questions that don't
have answers.
Hailey Alexander
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