Bananas are the fruit of a plant of the genus Musa, which are cultivated primarily for food, and secondarily for the production of fibers. It is alleged that there are almost 1000 varieties of bananas in the world, subdivided in 50 groups (Bora, 2007). The most generally known banana is the seedless Cavendish variety, which is the one produced for export markets and pronounced for consuming. The banana is the fruit of an herbaceous plant related to the orchid family and is most commonly found in tropical climate areas which become an exotic product of cold environment zones.
The banana is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia, and cultivation could have started as early as 8000 BCE. The professionals believe that bananas were the first fruit cultivated by humans and the first domestication took place in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, but China was the first country to cultivate the fruit in an organized production method. The banana did not hit the market in the United States until 1870 after two men realized it’s potential. Lorenzo Dow Baker was a ship captain that brought the banana back from a trip in Jamaica and sold it in the New Jersey market for a small profit. The other man was Minor Keith who worked on a railroad in Costa Rica and planted banana trees near the construction site. After the railway was completed he transported the fruit by train to the United States for retailing and soon the banana became a very popular food in the US. The mass production potential of the banana was discovered in the same year by several American and European businessmen. They implemented a plan to export the fruit and established companies for its plantation. Gradually, an entire industry emerged in Central ...
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...if they spend a little extra capital to manufacture a green product they should be compensated on the purchase price. Basically, the corporations only care about their profit margins and organic products provide an environmental factor that will market to the diverse consumer. We as consumers face difficult choices every day. Many of those choices involve balancing the risks and benefits of our activities. Research is increasingly showing that buying organic reduces many risks associated with agriculture and food while also providing benefits. Farmers and food processors will respond to consumer demand; they will use fewer pesticides, fertilizers, additives, antibiotics etc. if that is what the consumer wants. It is our responsibility as a consumer, however, to be prepared to pay more for our food so that farmers can change their practices (Hammermeister, 2007).
Steven Shapin is an expert when it comes to telling people the reality of the situation. In his, article “What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic?” Shapin exposes and explains the truth behind the word organic. He explains that our view on organic is not a reality. The small farms that we picture in our heads are really just big business in disguise and these big businesses are trying to do good by supposedly not using harmful pesticides. Which are supposed to not damage the environment but in reality they are probably not making any sort of difference. Some people care about the environment, while others are buying taste when it comes to organic food but using different pesticides are going to help the taste, only freshness tastes the best.
As exports from bananas continued to create wealth, Keith continued to form plantations on his Costa Rican lands while overseeing the completion of the railroad. Finally, in 1890, the task originally taken up by his uncle had been accomplished. However, the railroad was far from first in his mind. Seeking to become a powerful force in the increasingly lucrative banana industry, Keith began to open plantations in the surrounding countries of Nicaragua, Panama, and Colombia (Colby 69).
Even though bananas may simply look like a fruit, they signify a wide variety of environmental, economic, social, and political problems. The banana trade injustices in the global trade market, symbolizes economic imperialism, and the worldwide spread of the agricultural economy. Bananas are also number four on the list of staple crops in the world and one of the major profit makers in supermarkets, making them vital for economic and global food security. Being one of the many first tropical fruits to be exported, bananas were a cheap way to bring “the tropics” to North America and Europe. Bananas have become such a widespread, inexpensive grocery item that we often forget where they come from and how they got here.
In 1899 the first banana concession was granted to the Vacarro brothers; their company would later become Standard Fruit. In 1907 Sam Zemurray set up the Cuyamel Fruit Company; later bought by United Fruit. The unequal relationship that would exist between the companies and the Honduran state for the first half of the 20th century gave rise to the description "banana republic." Between 1932 and 1948 Honduras was ruled by a dictator, Tiburcio Carias Andino.
Notwithstanding its tropical origins, the banana helped define every-day consumer culture in the United States. Fruit company executives dealt with how to market bananas and make them more popular than ever. In 1944 the United Fruit Company launched a radio campaign featuring a singing banana dubbed Miss Chiquita. After the launch of Miss Chiquita the Gros Michel banana was replaced with the Cavendish variety. The Cavendish and Miss Chiquita turned an agricultural commodity into a product that consumers would distinguish by brand name.
The organic food movement in America has grown tremendously in the last twenty years and is still expected to grow. In a recent Washington Times article, the author Adam Omkara, writes, "The organic fruits & vegetables will continue to dominate till 2018 and with the growth in organic food market revenues, the demand for organic meat, fish, poultry, etc. is also expected to gain demand in the forecasted period" (Omkara). In my work as a private chef, most of my clients only want me to purchase organic ingredients since they believe it is healthier for the body and for the environment. The price for organic food is more expensive, sometimes 10 to 20 percent more expensive than conventional food. If prices stay where they are currently, access to organic food will only be in the hands of the
It seems as though banana pudding most likely came from the English trifle. The trifle also had a similar combination of pudding, fruit, and cookies spread into layers. Bananas were a rare site prior to the Civil War. Then, cargo ships from the Caribbean began shipping them to the country through ports in New Orleans and Charleston. The fruit was quickly integrated into traditional custards and meringues, paving the way for the banana pudding we know and love today.
Many believe that organic farming must be local and transporting around the world defeats the purpose of organic farming. Michael Pollan, a well known food critic and the Author of The Omnivore 's Dilemma, asks “So is the industrial Organic food chain finally a contradiction in terms?”The size of the industrial organic industry has increased greatly in the past decades: “It 's no longer the image of a small organic farmer with four acres and a hog. This is mainstream now—this is an industry worth over $31.5 billion.” Src 3. The large organic companies have grown to be worth billions of dollars and because of this it would be hard to defeat them and change the standards. The industrial food system as a whole has decreased the amount of farming in America vastly. Pollan states that in the United States there is “One Farmer, 129 Eaters.” This means that for every farmer there is he/she is feeding 129 people across the United States. Organic farming and conventional farming produce the same yields with crops and animals.The large scale organic system could be beneficial if the standards are changed and made better for the environment. It is
...atoes, corns, and peppers, were introduced into the Old Word; while coffee, oranges, banana and sugar cane were introduced into the Americas. Potato was one of the most important crops in the World that was introduced into the Old world. As a substitute for wheat, potatoes provided billions of people food to survive worldwide. However, diseases also rose among potato plants and destroyed millions of plants and caused famine which killed millions of people. The origin of potatoes was first found to be domesticated by South America Andes and learned by Europeans, and then it was spread into Africa, Asian and at last North America. Potatoes also caused political, social and economic issues from its production, such as late blight, the Great Famine, and increase in Chinese population; these issues had brought some serious consequences that even lasted until modern days.
According to About Education, “The earliest banana evidence found in Africa is from Munsa, a site in Uganda dated to 3220 cal BC, although there are problems with the stratigraphy and chronology. The earliest well-supported evidence is at Nkang, a site located in southern Cameroon, which contained banana phytoliths dated between 2,750 to 2,100 BP. Like coconuts, bananas were most widely spread as a result of the sea exploration of the Pacific by Lapita peoples ca 3000 BP, of extensive trade voyages throughout the Indian Ocean by Arab traders, and of exploration of the Americas by Europeans. (Hirst) Ray Comfort fails to bring about how the first banana also known as the wild banana was actually created. The wild banana unlike the domesticated banana is not as easy to eat. The wild banana has seeds inside that aren’t as enjoyable as the domestic banana. Ray comfort also fails to talk about the domestication of the banana is designed for humans by the almighty God himself. If he would have informed his audience about the history of the banana his argument might have been more
history of the apple and also explains apple’s importance in human civilization. An apple’s taste
I try to eat healthy and purchase fresh produce. I am aware of a lot of chemicals that get pumped through fruits and vegetables, even the meat we buy. These are all factors that influence my purchases when it comes to groceries. I will admit that I do not buy totally organic, but that is also heavily related to the cost. Organic items are priced much higher than products that are not. I do try to find sales, and stick to organic, hormone free products as often as I can. I believe that a lot the chemicals being used to mass produce, and produce faster crops is not only harmful to ourselves, but it also can’t be good being put back into the environment. Many of the pesticides used will end up in groundwater and from there it is anyone’s guess. Having these chemicals sink deep beneath earth cannot be good. We also need to consider where these chemicals will end up and how that can affect us. I am also always hearing that organic is better because it’s better to support local farmers rather than the huge corporations that are contributing to the environmental
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
This is a prime example of perception and cultural assumption. Varying cultures may view the banana as a different color, such as, green,
...for environment, they can buy organic foods. In addition, there is a secondary reason that maybe has influence on purchasing organic foods: higher price. Organic foods generally are more expensive than conventional foods, so for some affluent people who support that organic foods are healthier,