Uncovered Volume 4

NOV, 2023

VOLUME 4

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear readers, Welcome to the fourth issue of Uncovered! Thank you so much for your support for the three volumes we’ve released over this past year. We can only hope that we have fulfilled our mission in shedding even a bit of light onto uncovered, unseen, unnoticed issues across world history - and we hope to continue doing so in the future.

Bananas are ubiquitous in our daily lives.

Simple and versatile, they add depth and flavour to our smoothies, cakes and muffins - and are enjoyable in their own right as an afternoon snack. Who would think that such a humble fruit has had and continues to have - such a dark legacy?

This very same question baffled our research team. For this volume of Uncovered, we travel to Latin America - a region that we haven’t yet explored - to spotlight the horrific actions of the United Fruit Company. Since the early 1900s, this multinational corporation has committed a vast range of atrocities that have had lasting impacts on the political and economic structures of several countries in Latin America.

Even today, it exists as Chiquita Bananas, which controls a staggering 22% of the global banana market.

Out of all of the volumes that we have released so far, the issue covered in this publication likely has the greatest, most tangible remaining impacts - simply because the corporation in question is still operating today, completely unencumbered. Thus, as consumers, it is even more important that we are conscious and informed. By spending on unethical corporations that have faced little consequences for past actions, we lend them even more power to continue engaging in unethical practices.

As always, I am so grateful for the wonderful team of writers, researchers and designers who made this publication possible - your work never fails to impress.

We hope that this volume not only opens your eyes to a deeply neglected issue in world history - but also encourages you to reconsider your spending decisions as individual, empowered consumers.

Sincerely, Eujiny Cho

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CONTENTS 1.

The Rundown

2.

Country Case Studies

3.

The Issue, Today

4.

Trivia

5.

Rays of Hope

6.

Media Referrals

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THE RUNDOWN KRISTINE LIU

The United Fruit Company (UFC), formed in 1899 in America from the Boston Fruit Company, was a corporation involved in the trade and growth of tropical fruit particularly bananas. Its controversy is one not many would have heard of, nor is its significance explicitly discussed when referring to the history and development of Latin American countries that were impacted by its actions. In fact, in 1970, the company rebranded as the United Brands Company, after which it began transformed into the entity ‘Chiquita Brands International’ in 1984 and still continues to operate to this day.

UFC employees loading bananas in Costa Rica (Doug Allen)

With their almost complete monopoly over bananas, the UFC had excessive control over local politics and the national economy. Through such practices, a term known as ‘banana republics’ became coined. The term refers to a low-income developing economy, such as The UFC was first founded with the Guatemala, and is used in a derogatory merger of several corporations which way to describe the reliance it has on a produced and marketed bananas from single crop (in this case, bananas); thus the Caribbean islands, Central America influencing the economic, political and and Columbia in 1988. By the early 1930’s it social reforms and dynamics of the had become the largest corporation in country.

Central America. The UFC is known to have bribed government officials, acquired tax-free concessions from the government, exploited their workers with little to no pay, and expanded their power by building railroads, telephone systems and bridges into neighbouring countries Cover of an early edition of the Tropical Review, in an attempt to expand their monopolies. a UFC magazine targeted to readers in the United States (Global Boston)

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The influence that the UFC’s operations had in Latin America was extensive.

Particularly, its political influence was significant, as it was able to destabilise many countries by developing a major influence on the political decisions of the country. The reliance many countries had on the production of bananas gave the corporation enormous economic power, evidenced in the fact that the UFC controlled 90% of the banana import business in Latin America. Due to the development of such a heavy reliance on the UFC for bananas, many historians believe that the ‘economic and political development of countries in Latin America’ were ‘meddled with’ by the corporation.

One of the main unethical practices that the company engaged in was the exploitation of their workers. Much of the labour provided was by those in poverty who were overworked and often underpaid. Workers were divided along racial and ethnic lines. The pesticides and herbicides used in production also greatly harmed local environments; and the UFC can be assessed to have been responsible for a significant amount of environmental degradation during its operation in the early 20th century.

The UFC also used their unethically earned profits to fund passenger cruises from the early 1900s (Maritime Timetable Images)

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COUNTRY CASE STUDIES EUJINY CHO

COLOMBIA: By the late 1920s, the United Fruit Company had come to own about 220,000 acres of Colombian farmland, as well as amassing significant influence within both the national and US government. However, the company’s routine exploitation and mistreatment of local labour had led to small and fractured worker movements in the decade preceding this period. Pressure on the UFC increased in 1928 as workers on banana plantations attempted to negotiate better conditions through a serie - such as mandatory insurance; increases in the daily pay and weekly wage; and shorter working hours.

Banana workers on a Colombian plantation in the early 1920s (Alamy)

As UFC officials continually refused to make concessions for fairer working conditions, months of unrest and dissatisfaction culminated in a strike in November near Santa Marta; the largest labour movement in Colombia until then.

In response, 700 Colombian army troops - led by General Carlos Vargas under the conservative government of Miguel Mendez - opened fire on a crowd of strikers and their families on December 6, branding them as ‘subversive communists.’ An estimated 47 to 2,000 people were killed. This atrocity has since become known as the Banana Massacre.

Whilst the extent of the UFC’s direct influence is still unknown, it can still be assessed that the UFC’s dominance over Colombia’s economy likely played a large part in the government’s decision, as working against the UFC’s interests could lead to the cutting off of trade of Colombian bananas to profitable markets in the US. Further, the UFC’s continued refusal to improve conditions for plantation workers and protect the basic human rights of their employees directly led to the Santa Marta strike, which was so brutally suppressed a month later.

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HONDURAS: Honduras, along with Costa Rica, are widely believed by historians to have experienced some of the most severe environmental degradation and worker mistreatment at the hands of the UFC. Firstly, in order to treat the diseases that often plagued banana plantations, workers were forced to handle toxic and carcinogenic chemicals for long periods of time, with little to no protective equipment or means of contamination provided by the company.

A plantation in Puerto Castilla, Honduras, where workers may have been exposed to toxic chemicals (Baker Library)

Despite reports and first-hand accounts that chemicals used on these plantations often led to chronic respiratory illnesses, cancer and even death, the UFC took little action to address the potentially fatal impacts of their own production process in the form of specialised health care or worker compensation.

Toxic runoff from a plantation in Honduras (Miguel Guavara)

In addition, there are also reports that local UFC executives pressured labourers to remain silent about the impacts of prolonged exposure to chemicals used on plantations. However, the injustices endured on UFC plantations are preserved in literary records - such as in the novel ‘The Green Prison’ by Ramon Amaya Amador, which describes Amador’s personal experiences as a plantation worker and the horrifying conditions that labourers were exposed to. Further, the toxic pesticides that the UFC used in their production left local water supplies and biodiversity ravaged. They also engaged in a farming practice in which they would overuse a specific area of arable land by completely depleting its resources and nutrients, then relocate to another area and repeat the exact same process; creating a vicious cycle whereby the company systematically destroyed the country’s agricultural land, a practice which still has repercussions on Honduras’ export ability today.

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GUATEMALA: In the first half of the 20th century, the UFC had amassed a considerable level of power in Guatemala; becoming the largest landowner and employer in the country, and convincing the government to permit full tax exemptions, forced labour and capped salaries as part of their business operations. However, as the result of a national revolution in 1944, a democracy was established in the country with Jacobo Arbenz being elected as the president in 1951.

As part of his extensive agrarian reform bill, a large proportion of uncultivated land was transferred from large landowners to the Indigenous population. The UFC, threatened by reduced profits from possible losses of their land, engaged in a multimillion dollar lobbying campaign to persuade the US government to overthrow the Guatemalan government; which involved commissioning a ‘bogus’ research campaign that, according to historians Schlesinger and Kinzer, was ‘full of exaggerations and bizarre historical theories’, along with a public misinformation campaign to discredit the new democratic government.

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Despite the lack of credibility of this campaign, as well as the UFC’s clear profitdriven motive, President Eisenhower initiated Operation PBSuccess in 1951 to topple Arbenz.

A satirical mural by Diego Rivera that satirises the role of the US and UFC in the Guatemalan coup; shaking hands are Armas and John Foster Dulles, secretary of state under Eisenhower; surrounding them are executives from the UFC

After CIA-trained men, led by Carlos Castillo Armas, invaded Guatemala in June 1954, Arbenz resigned and Armas replaced his democracy with a military dictatorship.

Thus, workers on banana plantations faced significant setbacks in terms of their rights as Armas’ government reversed many of the socially progressive reforms that Arbenz had made - such as the freedom to unionise. This is perhaps the most disturbing example of the extent of the UFC’s political control over Latin America; as well as the lengths that it went in order to maintain its selfish economic interests.

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THE ISSUE, TODAY KRISTINE LIU

Although the United Fruit Company technically ceases to exist as a brand, the corporation still survives today through its merging into Chiquita Brands International in 1984. Even into the 21st century, this company remains highly controversial in its own right.

There are several issues with Chiquita Brands today; encompassing a range of environmental, social, ethical and legal issues. Tragically, historical problems of the UFC still impact communities in the modern day.

The bananas grown by Chiquita Brand's plantations are produced in a way that destroys ecosystems and contaminates drinking water, lowering the quality of life for the residents around the plantation and destroying the surrounding environment - especially through the release and run-off of harmful toxic chemicals, much like the UFC.

A modern Chiquita plantation in Mexico (Gallagher and McWhirter)

A 1978 advertisement for Chiquita Bananas (Flickr)

Firstly, many of the environmental impacts that the UFC caused have been exacerbated by its successor.

Pesticides that are banned in the US, Canada and the European Union have also been used by the company despite its pact with international environmental groups to abide by safety standards.

Further, labour exploitation remains rife, as child labour has been frequently reported on Chiquita Brands plantations, along with the routine exploitation of workers and suppression of union activity.

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There have been numerous stories of the crimes committed by Chiquita Brands in order to illegally secure land for banana production. In a particularly horrific case, local Honduran soldiers forced farmers out of their village at gunpoint, in order to bulldoze the village and make way for agricultural land; highlighting the influence that Chiquita Brands has over local authorities and how it has abused this influence.

Perhaps the most major criminal investigation - and primary ethical concern - that Chiquita Brands has been subjected to, surrounds secret payments and material support totalling more than $1.7 million to the AUC, a Colombian paramilitary and drug trafficking group which the US deemed a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The AUC was notorious for its violent attacks on civilians, which were suspected to have been funded by Chiquita Brands International. In 2007, the company pleaded guilty to the charges, admitting that it paid AUC operatives to silence unions and intimidate farmers into selling their land exclusively to UFC, and paid a $25 million dollar fine. Chiquita has also been found to have paid other terrorist groups - such as the FARC, a Colombian guerilla group and has made out-of-court settlements with the American families of those murdered by the FARC.

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A group of AUC paramilitaries on patrol (Imgur)

During the same period in which Chiquita was funding the AUC, more than one ton of cocaine was found on 7 of its ships from Columbia in 1997. The company’s private port in Columbia was also discovered to have been used to smuggle in a shipment of arms intended for the AUC. Further, Chiquita executives have also been known to have bribed Colombian officials.

However, Chiquita Brands isn’t the only fruit company that still regularly engages in illegal behaviour. One example is Dole, an Irish corporation that allegedly also exploits child labour and harasses workers out of joining unions - especially in its Philippines plantations.

In regards to Chiquita’s payment to the AUC - which contributed to significant violence and the loss of many lives - there have been no further reparations nor action taken by the company. Despite the $25 million fine, it has since made no effort to recompense the families of those who were killed by the Chiquita-funded AUC. Despite this, there is still a general lack of awareness of the brand’s enduring controversies.

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TRIVIA

CAROLYN WANG

1.What was the original name of the United Fruit Company before it was expanded in 1899? a) Caribbean Fruit Traders b) American Produce Company c) Latin American Fruit Exporters d) Boston Fruit Company 2. Does the United Fruit Company (UFCO) continue to exist today? a) No - it went bankrupt following financial decline in 1970 b) No - it was shut down following major worker strikes in 1928 c) Yes - it still exists as Chiquita Brands International d) Yes - it still exists as part of the Standard Fruit Company 3. Which of these countries did the UFC operate in? a) Honduras b) Guatemala c) Cuba d) All of the above

A UFC worker carrying bananas in Guatemala (NPR)

4. Which term was commonly used to refer to the UFC’s near-monopoly control over the banana trade? a) The Banana State b) The Tropical Takeover c) The Banana Republic d) The Fruit Phenomenon 5. The UFC played a major role in instigating which of the following political events? a) The 1954 Guatemalan coup d’etat b) The election of Carlos Arena as president of Guatemala in 1970 c) Honduras’ peace treaty with El Salvador in 1980 d) Honduras gaining full independence in 1840

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6. Which of the following is not true regarding the events of the Banana Massacre in Colombia? a) The plantation workers went on strike prior to the massacre b) The workers made nine demands to the UFC, including compensation for work accidents c) US officials in Colombia and UFC representatives described the strike as ‘communist’ and ‘with a subversive tendency’ d) A total of 47 workers were killed in the massacre 7. Which term refers to countries in Latin America that are heavily dependent on a single export, and often controlled by foreign corporations?

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8. What was the name of the magazine published by the UFC to promote its interests and improve its public image in the United States? a) The Banana Digest b) The Fruitarian News c) The Tropical Review d) Voice of the Plantations 9. Which US agency played a role in the UFC’s activities in Latin America, often providing support for its interests? a) CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) b) FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) c) DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) d) FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

a) Agricultural states b) Banana republics c) Single-commodity economies d) Export-dominant nations

A Chiquita worker on a modern plantation in Siquirres, Costa Rica (Kent Gilbert/AP)

ANSWERS: d, c, d, c, a, d, b, c, a How many did you get right?

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RAYS OF HOPE CAROLYN WANG

Several organisations and initiatives are actively working to address ethical concerns within the banana industry, aiming to improve working conditions, promote sustainable farming practices, and support local communities.

In an encouraging step forward, Chiquita Brands have shown signs of progress in terms of more sustainable practices. On the Coca Bola Farm, one of Chiquita’s many plantations, the banks of the river used to be draped with thousands of discarded plastic bags used to protect growing bananas. Those bags eventually washed into the sea, clogging beaches and damaging coral reefs. Now, these bags are recycled into paving stones which line the trails between plants.

A worker on the Coca Bola plantation (Camilo Mejia)

Furthermore, the plantation is growing deep-rooted sotacaballo trees along the riverbank to prevent erosion and to protect the river from contaminants. Still, large-scale problems remain. From start to finish, every phase of banana production is steeped in industrial chemicals, posing risks to both the environment and workers. Organisations such as the Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade USA are working to address the over-reliance on agrochemicals in the industry.

The Rainforest Alliance: The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation that focuses on sustainable agriculture and forestry. They work with banana producers to promote environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices. Their certification program ensures that farms meet strict criteria regarding conservation and worker welfare. As part of their initiatives, the Rainforest Alliance introduced the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard, which requires farmers to implement pest management practices that reduce chemical use and prohibits the use of most Highly Hazardous Pesticides.

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The 2020 Standards also builds on existing certification requirements related to workers’ rights, health and safety and proper land management.

Members of the Rainforest Alliance on a banana plantation in Mexico (Rainforest Alliance)

A 2019 study of Rainforest Alliance certified banana farms in Columbia found that certified farms scored higher on most socioeconomic indicators than non-certified farms. For example, workers on certified farms experienced better health and safety practices, such as wearing sufficient protective gear and having access to a designated occupational health and safety professional. In Ecuador, researchers found that Rainforest Alliance Certified banana farms used more sustainable practices when it came to agrochemical management, pest control and water quality than non-certified farms. While Rainforest Alliance acknowledges that there is a long journey ahead in terms of improving the exploitative conditions of banana plantations, their work so far has had encouraging improvements.

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How can you support this cause?

- Look for the Frog Seal: Products with the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal meet stringent environmental, social, and economic standards.

- Advocate for Change: Spread awareness about the importance of sustainable agriculture and support policies that promote responsible farming practices.

Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade USA is a non-profit organisation that focuses on improving the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries. They work to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and environmentally sustainable practices within the banana industry as well as other areas of produce such as tea. Through Fair Trade certification, they ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their produce, which helps to combat the historically exploitative practices of large corporations. This additional income is often invested in community projects, healthcare, and education. Since starting, Fair Trade has delivered more than $1 billion USD in financial benefit to producer communities!

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A worker on a Fair Trade-certified banana plantation in Costa Rica (Christian Nusch)

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By supporting these organisations and making informed choices as consumers, individuals can play a crucial role in promoting ethical practices in the banana industry. Choosing Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance certified products, as well as supporting advocacy campaigns, can make a significant impact on the lives of banana farmers and workers.

Fair Trade USA’s rigorous standards promote worker protection, sanitary conditions and access to clean water, ensuring that workers have the right to reasonable accommodations for any work that poses a risk to their health or safety. Their Agricultural Production Standard requires the formation of three committees; Fair Trade, Health and Safety, and a Social Engagement Team which set, enforce and communicate guiding principles for the workplace.

How can you support this cause?

- Choose Fair Trade Certified Products: Consumers can look for the Fair Trade Certified™ label on banana bunches, which signifies that the farmers received a fair price for their produce. By purchasing Fair Trade Certified bananas, consumers can support fair labour practices and environmental sustainability.

- Educate Yourself: Learn more about Fair Trade and support other Fair Trade products to promote ethical consumption.

Look for these two labels on produce next time you go grocery shopping!

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MEDIA REFERRALS ANSHITA BAIJAL

When Banana Ruled (2017) When Banana Ruled - otherwise known as La loi de la banane - is a movie directed

by Mathilde Damoisel that tells the story of the American “pioneers who feared neither God nor Man, and managed to get away with murder”. The 53-minute movie is an introduction to the journey of Minor Cooper Keith, Lorenzo Dow Baker and Andrew Preston in forming a “multinational empire”. The movie documents the expansion of the UFC and its eventual domination of Latin America - and the consequences this held for Indigenous communities. This brief yet powerful movie provides a useful overview for viewers on the beginnings of the UFC, to ultimately becoming a symbol for an “exploitative export economy” that laid the foundations for business today.

Movie poster for ‘When Banana Ruled’ (Icarus Films)

Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World by Peter Chapman (2009) Chapman’s renowned book on the history of The United Fruit Company explores the origins of “one of the most controversial global corporations ever”, and the ways in which its formation laid the groundwork for the institutionalised greed of today’s multinational companies. Chapman’s critique of the company’s policies, marketing, expansion and its links to US power brokers offers an in-depth analysis for readers to understand The United Fruit Company’s modern-day impacts decades later.

Cover for ‘Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World’ (Canongate Books)

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The Dark History of Bananas (2021): This TED-Ed video by John Soluri provides a brief overview of the rise and fall of The United Fruit Company and the political instability that resulted from and was exacerbated by the expansion of the company. With US companies wanting to capitalise on the popularity of bananas among consumers, banana moguls stopped at no cost to acquire the land required to expand their businesses.

Further, Sulori investigates how the switch to Panama Disease-resistant Cavendish bananas, a decision made by the rebranded Chiquita (formerly the UFC), still has detrimental effects on local farmers and ecosystems.

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The website offers in-depth information regarding the stages of the company’s development and an expansive archive collection of those involved and affected during this time.

The Dispossession of Smallholders (Banana Republics - Visualising the Americas): The ‘Visualising the Americas’ website provides a database of preserved records related to the history of the UFC, as well as the history of the communities that the company affected and harmed.

The ‘Archives’ include a collection of nearly 2000 pages of documents generated by the company along with photographs from Rafael Platero Paz, a Central American photographer and entrepreneur.

Snippets from the Rafael Platero Paz collection (Visualising the Americas)

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITERS

Kristine Liu Carolyn Wang Anshita Baijal Eujiny Cho ILLUSTRATOR

Jisoo Han DESIGNER

Eujiny Cho