Latin American Banana Producers Demand Fairer Prices Amid Climate Crisis

Banana producers across Latin America are demanding increased pay and fairer commercial conditions to combat significant production losses caused by a severe El Niño event. Extreme weather, including high winds in Colombia and heavy rainfall in Peru and Ecuador, has crippled output. In the Colombian Caribbean region, exports fell 32% to $122 million between July and September 2026, with September shipments alone dropping 42% year-on-year.

Fairtrade Foundation is urging the United Kingdom to implement legislation targeting unfair trading practices, such as late payments and contracts that shift risk onto farmers. Chief Executive Eleanor Harrison stated that fair prices, climate resilience, and decent work are inextricably linked. This push comes as research from the Ethical Trading Initiative reveals that 66.7% of suppliers in 2026 received payments that failed to cover basic production costs.

Industry actors, including the Association of Banana Growers of Magdalena and La Guajira and the supplier Fyffes, are calling on international markets to recognize actual production costs. They argue that supermarket prices must reflect the real costs of labor, environmental management, and the investments necessary to adapt to climate change to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.