A new report published by the Fairtrade Foundation, which includes analysis carried out by 3Keel, shows that the people who grow bananas are being left to shoulder the combined pressures of unfair trading practices (UTPs) and a worsening climate crisis, putting their livelihoods and the future of bananas at risk. This matters because 10-12 million people worldwide depend on bananas for their livelihood.
Bananas: An Endangered Staple, shows how persistent downward pressure on prices, late payments, last-minute cancellations and unfair penalties are pushing risk down the supply chain, leaving the people who grow the world’s most popular fruit to bear costs they cannot afford.
Prices paid to the people growing our bananas may not cover production costs or provide a decent living, while unpredictable payments and orders make it harder to pay bills, feed families and avoid debt. Plantations under pressure may cut wages, jobs, safety equipment or rely more heavily on temporary contracts, while farmers have less money to invest in irrigation, disease prevention and other measures needed to withstand increasingly extreme and volatile conditions.
“Over the past 10 years, the climate has changed a lot. It’s been getting much hotter… it’s really intense. Some places have had losses due to the climate, flooding, strong winds. It’s going to affect all of us – our workers, colleagues – everything will be at great risk, and our wages will decrease.”
Ever Antonio Flores Muños, a banana worker at AGROSIETE in Colombia
Climate vulnerabilities
The threat to future banana supplies is growing. According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN) data, around 93% of bananas imported into the UK come from climate-vulnerable regions in Latin America and West Africa.
New Fairtrade analysis found that during the 2023-24 El Niño, banana productivity fell by 22% in Ecuador, 13% in the Dominican Republic and 6% in Peru. This year’s anticipated Super El Niño could place further pressure on production and supplies. Climate change is also increasing the spread of diseases such as black sigatoka and Tropical Race 4 (TR4). Research suggests that suitable land for banana cultivation could shrink by an average of 61% across Latin America and the Caribbean by 2050.
While bananas are becoming harder and more expensive to produce, supermarket prices have remained unchanged for almost 40 years, despite rising costs for fertiliser, fuel and labour. They cost roughly 15p per fruit here in the UK.
Calls to action
The Fairtrade Foundation is calling on the UK Government to tackle unfair trading practices through a new Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) law. While some businesses have taken positive voluntary steps, Fairtrade argues that legislation is needed to ensure harmful purchasing practices are addressed across the sector.
The report comes as momentum builds for stronger regulation of global supply chains. A recent Fabian Society report estimated that the annual cost of inaction on labour exploitation and environmental damage could reach £4.4 billion in the UK, compared with an estimated £0.4 billion per year for compliance and enforcement measures. Meanwhile 20 leading businesses, including seven of the UK’s major supermarkets, have backed calls for new legislation to hold businesses accountable for human rights abuses and environmental harm.
The Fairtrade All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has also launched an inquiry into purchasing practices in the banana sector.
Some retailers have made significant commitments to supporting banana growers. Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Co-op have sold 100% Fairtrade bananas since 2007, 2010 and 2012 respectively.
The people growing our bananas are facing extreme climate shocks, which are predicted to be further exacerbated by the current Super El Niño, rising production costs and persistent unfair trading practices, leaving many unable to earn enough to sustain their farms…Businesses should always play their part by paying fairer prices and building long-term partnerships that give the people growing our bananas the certainty they need to thrive.
Eleanor Harrison, Fairtrade Foundation CEO
About Fairtrade bananas:
- All bananas available at Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Waitrose are 100% Fairtrade-certified.
- One in four bananas bought in the UK is Fairtrade, making a huge difference to tens of thousands of farmers, workers and their families.
- In 2025, £9.4 million of Fairtrade Premium went directly to banana growers as a result of Fairtrade banana sales in the UK.
- The first Fairtrade banana in the UK market was sold by Co-op in 2000.
- Sainsbury’s has sourced Fairtrade bananas since 2007, generating the largest Fairtrade Premium contribution of any UK and global grocery retailer
