Banana Growers Suffering From Supermarket Price Cuts

Tue, 27 Jan 2009
 
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Supermarket price cuts on bananas are hurting growers in third-world countries, according to global charity organisation ActionAid .

The group has warned that supermarket reductions, such as those made last week by grocery giants Asda and Morrisons are hindering efforts to improve life for plantation workers and other poverty-stricken labourers in developing countries.

It also fears that the situation will be made worse as Britain’s other major supermarket groups look to compete with Asda and Morrisons by introducing similar price cuts .

Jenny Ricks, ActionAid campaigner, said: "Plantations can't live up to retailers' demands for decent working conditions if they hammer down prices like this."

Annual sales of banana imports now top half a billion pounds in the UK. The majority of bananas are imported to Britain from countries in South America and West Africa.

But according to ActionAid, workers on plantations in countries such as Costa Rica receive just 2.5p for every £1 spent on bananas by UK consumers.

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