Andrés Jimenezu is one of our plantation workers – a farm worker. Visit his home and find out what his working day is like!

Growing the best quality bananas requires a lot of hard work and expertise. Each banana plant is nurtured and nourished by hand at each stage of development. In the early flowering phase, some of the flowers are removed and the fruit clusters are covered with plastic bags to protect the fruit from disease, pests, wind and weather. Later the flowers at the ends of the fruits are removed and the large flower on the end of the plant is cut off by hand. The reusable plastic film between the hands protects the fruit from friction and rubbing while the fruit is growing. A fully grown banana plant weighs around 30 - 50 kg, so it needs to be supported to prevent it falling over. This is why all the plants are secured with plastic tapes.

We only use crop protection agents on our plantations when absolutely necessary. Workers always wear protective gear and brightly coloured clothing to make sure they are easily visible to each other. They receive training in how to use the chemicals correctly, as well as regular refresher training.We use the smallest possible amounts of plant protection agents. The dose, frequency and method of application are carefully controlled. By using an Eco Weeder, we can apply just the right amount to small, targeted areas. Black Sigatoka, a disease caused by aggressive spores, attacks banana leaves and can destroy an entire plantation in a matter of weeks. The only way to protect the plants is to spray them from the air. At 4 to 6 metres tall, the plants cannot be treated manually. Dole is constantly working to find more environmentally friendly ways to combat this disease.

Banana plants are actually giant herbaceous plants that look like trees. The plants grow from a multitude of roots called rhizomes. One of these is selected to produce the next generation of banana plants. If you visit a banana plantation you will see that each plant produces three shoots. There is a mature shoot which is harvested after several weeks, a sucker which takes the place of the main plant after harvest, and another shoot which does not fruit but supplies nutrients to the young plants. This cycle can repeat itself for 25 to 30 years without new banana plants having to be planted manually.

When the fruits are ready for harvesting, the plant is cut down. The heavy banana clusters are cut off and carefully carried to a conveyor system which transports the bananas very gently to the packing station.

Through cell division, banana plants produce leaves that develop into a pseudostem and produce fruit. The bud forms in the bottom part of the plant and grows up through the centre of the pseudostem to the top. The arrow-shaped bud pushes through the top of the plant and its weight then causes it to change direction and grow towards the ground. Bananas go through a unique process known as negative geotropism. Instead of continuing to grow towards the ground, they start to turn towards the sun. The fruit grows against gravity, giving the banana its familiar curved shape. But why? The answer lies in the botanical history of the banana. It originated in the middle layer of the rainforest, where there is little sunlight. If the fruit were to grow towards the small amount of light that penetrates sideways through the vegetation, the plant could overbalance and topple over. So bananas developed a way of growing towards the light without destabilising the plant.

A tropical plant known in the local language as taro or pato is used in all major drainage systems on the plantations. These plants have an important job. They provide natural ground cover to prevent contamination of drainage canals and maintain the natural high quality of the soil. The drainage systems and the plants are both inspected regularly. The banana leaves are also left on the ground after the harvest to encourage the growth of useful microorganisms that are good for the soil.

Every packing facility has a water recycling station which reduces water consumption by 80% to 90%. The water is regularly analysed and checked to make sure only good quality water is returned to the plantations. According to the Water Footprint Network (an NGO), 1 kilo of Dole bananas from Costa Rica consumes 13 times less water than eggs and 62 times less water than meat.

Find out more about our recycling system.

In Costa Rica, Dole offsets the CO2 emissions produced by transporting its products to port by planting trees and protecting existing forest. Dole works with FONAFIFO (Fondo Nacional de Financiamento Forestal), the National Fund for Forest Financing. This organisation reports to the Costa Rican environment ministry and is a pioneer of the “payments for eco-service” programme, which awards grants to small landowners in return for protecting forests and the natural environment on their land. Dole also plants trees in buffer zones and areas unsuitable for agriculture. Wherever possible, we plant native trees such as Almendro, Gavilan and Roble Savana. Dole protects 2600 hectares of existing forest and has planted over 1.4 million trees over the last five years. Reforestation takes place all year round as part of farm objectives, as well as on special days like Environmental Day, when local communities get involved in planting.