Guatemala: Banana workers on farms supplying Chiquita suffer alleged labor abuses and exposure to fungicides, according to a report by Public Eye, incl. co. comments
"Toxic bananas. Chiquita’s broken bodies"
…His brothers, Rogelio* and Luis*, repeat the same motions, breathe the same chemical-laden air and count the same number of quetzales at the end of each fortnight…
…to document working and living conditions on plantations run by Chiquita…
extreme fatigue, inadequate pay, unprotected exposure to chemicals, restrictions on the freedom of association. Each one of the plantations we visited in the south – where we observed the worst conditions – are nonetheless certified by the Rainforest Alliance, a US-based NGO whose label is meant to attest not only to the protection of biodiversity but also to workers’ rights and safety…
Mancozeb was banned in the European Union in 2020 and in Switzerland in 2021, after being classified as an endocrine disruptor that’s toxic to reproduction. Studies have shown that exposure to the fungicide can cause brain malformations in unborn children. European authorities also suspect it of being carcinogenic…
…the agrochemical giant Syngenta – which sells the fungicide locally under the name Ridomil – continues to market it in countries like Guatemala, where regulations are weaker. Other companies also produce it. In 2024, the Bulgarian company Agria exported 180 tonnes from Europe to Guatemala…
Contacted for comment, the Basel-based group Syngenta said it operates “in full compliance with local laws and regulations.” The company said it is a mid-sized player in the mancozeb market and stated that its product Ridomil Gold is “not registered for use in banana plantations in Guatemala.” It also stressed that tropical agriculture differs fundamentally from that practiced in Europe and that, consequently, “plant protection approaches must also be tailored to local realities.”…
...When contacted, the Etoy-based multinational did not respond to Public Eye’s questions...