In 1997/1998, NRET carried out a desk study for DFID on the potential for organic and fair-trade bananas from the Caribbean as a response to the threats faced by the Windward Islands’ banana industry due to challenges to the EU Banana Protocol at the WTO. The study findings recognised the potential of these niche markets, but highlighted the institutional, marketing and production challenges that would need to be addressed.

In 1998 NRET also carried out a study of the social impact of fair-trade bananas from Ghana. A subsequent Oxfam report stated that for these producers the most feasible alternative was narcotic production, and St Vincent already counted marijuana as its principal export crop.

In 1999 over a period of several months discussions involving stakeholders in fair-trade, organic and conventional exotic fruit production were facilitated by NRET/NRI, and identified an interest in a multi-stakeholder partnership to improve small producer participation in export exotic fruit production. This would include addressing production, marketing, social, environmental and institutional aspects.

Since then, there have been various significant developments:

• The threat to the Windward Islands is probably greater than ever as a result of the WTO upholding its decision on dollar banana access to the European market
• EU assistance to Caribbean banana producers, mainly focused on technical aspects of production, is now under review
• The Fairtrade Foundation-backed initiative to introduce fair-trade bananas from the Caribbean and Central America has progressed
• The Caribbean Banana Exporters Association is seeking to establish a holistic standard for good agricultural practice
• Sainsbury and Waitrose, both major outlets for Caribbean bananas, have instigated initiatives to investigate organic production of bananas and other exotic fruit on the islands. This parallels initiatives elsewhere in the region (e.g. Dominican Republic, Costa Rica) involving European primary marketing organisations (for instance, the Mack Multiples programme in the Dominican Republic has not only sought to increase the range of produce but has created a locally managed export industry)
• The FAO Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and on Tropical Fruits has concluded that both organic and fair-trade continued to offer opportunities to small producers, and constraints to such producers at were discussed at the INIBAP/CABI/CTA workshop in the Dominican Republic November 1999. Following on from this, CABI/IMI with INIBAP has started to seek funding for research on organic banana production in the Caribbean
• A meeting of an ad hoc group of experts was facilitated by FAO in March 2000 to develop an action plan on socially and environmentally responsible banana production

For more information contact NRET.