By Salvatore Scimino
June18, 2012
Bananas are for sure a delicacy. Most people enjoy eating them. Unless you grow them in your own garden should you live in the right world zone for this crop, you should be aware that the cultivation of bananas has high environmental and human costs.
Banana plantations need large tracts of land, so the original forests must go to make room for the banana herbs. Banana cultivation depends upon large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides.
The application of biocides contaminate the air, soil and water. The damaged environment affects negatively the health of the local people and the fauna is destroyed, especially amphibians and fish.
Although bananas are relatively cheap, their environmental price tag is really too high. Besides these fruits are far from being healthy morsels to eat. As shown below, what you buy at the store is a fruit packed with lots of pesticide residues ... In short, you get toxic bananas.
Banana plantations need large tracts of land, so the original forests must go to make room for the banana herbs. Banana cultivation depends upon large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides.
The application of biocides contaminate the air, soil and water. The damaged environment affects negatively the health of the local people and the fauna is destroyed, especially amphibians and fish.
Although bananas are relatively cheap, their environmental price tag is really too high. Besides these fruits are far from being healthy morsels to eat. As shown below, what you buy at the store is a fruit packed with lots of pesticide residues ... In short, you get toxic bananas.
PESTICIDES USED IN BANANA CULTIVATION
Source: Astorga (1998).
FUNGICIDES APPLIED TO BANANA PLANTATIONS
PLANE SPRAYING BIOCIDES ON BANANA PLANTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY PESTICIDES
TOXIC BANANAS
Video: Toxic Bananas (Spanish-English)
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
COSTS OF THE BANANA INDUSTRY
.gif)
Source: Calderon & Rola (2003)
References
Astorga, Y. (1998). The Environmental Impact of the Banana Industry: A Case Study of Costa Rica. International Banana Conference Document, 17 p.
Calderon, R. P. & Rola, A. C. (2003). Assessing Benefits and Costs of Commercial Banana Production in the Philippines. ISSPS Working Paper Nº 03-03. 24 p.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario