Bananas

How Chiquita is Transforming Bananas Into Pop Culture Icons

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:53:30 GMT

April 15 is National Banana Day and, for the third time, Chiquita is seizing the opportunity to bring its bold and colorful “Pop by Nature” campaign to Times Square — this year through an AI-powered social video experience that it says transforms the iconic New York City landmark into a larger-than-life Chiquita takeover.

As part of this year’s celebration, Chiquita is building on its long-standing use of music and storytelling, introducing a new limited-time, tropical-inspired jingle and dance challenge, inviting fans everywhere to join in. Designed to be simple, catchy and instantly recognizable, the dance features a signature Chiquita move creators and consumers alike can learn, share and remix across social platforms.

Chiquita says campaign content, including the video activation and dance challenge, will be shared on its official Instagram channel, inviting fans worldwide to view, participate and share.

To extend the celebration, Chiquita is hosting an Instagram-only promotional giveaway through April 19, offering fans ages 18 and older in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) the chance to win ceramic bowl and plate sets inspired by the Pop by Nature campaign.

The campaign speaks to the company’s aim to be about more than bananas and all about “bringing joy to everyday moments,” says Marco Volpi, chief marketing officer at Chiquita.

To learn more about Chiquita’s vision and strategy behind the Pop by Nature campaign and what it hopes to achieve, The Packer recently connected with Volpi.

Pop by Nature is now in its third year. What is the vision for the evolution of this campaign, and how do you sustain brand recognition in each campaign while ensuring each new artist collaboration — like this year’s with Jiaqi Wang — delivers a distinct freshness to the brand?

Volpi: Pop by Nature was built as a multiyear global platform designed to claim Chiquita’s place in pop culture. From Romero Britto to Sebastian Curi and now Jiaqi Wang, each collaboration transforms the banana into a bold artistic statement while maintaining the brand’s unmistakable identity.

To make the brand message even stronger, this year we decided, together with the artist, to put our brand ambassador at the center of the main campaign’s artwork. Miss Chiquita thus becomes the heart of the narrative about the brand’s origins and heritage, represented by a powerful, emotional pose in which she holds a Chiquita banana close to her chest with pride.

With the second campaign creative, we took a step further, transforming her into a true contemporary icon. Through Wang’s interpretation, she embodies the confidence, style and individuality of a modern woman. Portrayed for the first time in expressive, everyday life settings, and sometimes wearing a fashionable foulard instead of her historic fruit hat, she reflects both progression and heritage. That balance ensures freshness without losing recognizability.

Pop by Nature was built as a multi-year global platform designed to claim Chiquita’s place in pop culture, says Marco Volpi, chief marketing officer.

(Photo courtesy of Chiquita)

Chiquita says Pop by Nature has moved beyond a campaign to become a “creative journey.” How do you measure the success of the creative journey, and how does it translate to retail sales?

We call it a creative journey because it has become a distinctive and recognizable space for Chiquita globally, in pop art and culture. Success is measured by how strongly the campaign reinforces Chiquita as an icon, not just in the produce aisle, but in broader cultural conversations across markets all around the world.

From a retail perspective, that sustained brand storytelling supports premium perception and differentiation at shelf. When consumers see Chiquita as an established cultural brand with heritage and personality, that translates into loyalty and repeat purchase.

The campaign reimagines Miss Chiquita with Costa Rican heritage flair. What sentiments is the campaign seeking to evoke with consumers?

This year’s artwork highlights authenticity, heritage and pride. Miss Chiquita is portrayed holding the banana close to her chest, a gesture that symbolizes the heart of the brand. The lush, tropical landscapes draw directly from our Costa Rican roots, layering the visuals with color, movement and identity.

Miss Chiquita is portrayed with greater depth and personality, reflecting her evolution into a contemporary icon. No longer static, she appears expressive and engaged in everyday life, with the confidence and relatability of a modern woman.

The blue sticker is one of the most recognized brand assets in the world. How does the Pop by Nature edition influence the consumer’s path to purchase at the grocery shelf compared to the standard sticker?

The blue sticker has long been a seal of approval and a globally recognized brand asset. In the Pop by Nature edition, it becomes part of a broader artistic narrative. The limited-edition design signals seasonality, creativity and cultural relevance.

That visual distinction draws attention at shelf while reinforcing that Chiquita is actively investing in its brand. It strengthens both trust and differentiation within a competitive set.

Chiquita is returning to Milan Design Week. What is the strategic goal of bringing a produce brand into a high-end design space, and do you see that helping to move Chiquita from the produce aisle into the lifestyle category?

Milan Design Week reinforces Chiquita’s position as a global cultural icon. Bananas have inspired artists and designers for decades, and with Pop by Nature, Chiquita proudly claims that space in contemporary creative culture. Showing up in a global design environment signals that we are not just participating in the produce category, but in broader artistic dialogue.

The introduction of Miss Chiquita House brings the campaign to life through immersive creative experiences, transforming the artwork into a physical world that consumers and creators can step into and where art, contemporary design and pop spirit come together in a world of vibrant colors and tropical vibes. The space reflects Miss Chiquita’s transformation into a modern icon, someone who exists beyond packaging and shelf. By portraying her in dynamic, everyday contexts within a design-forward environment, we expand her presence into lifestyle and cultural space.

From its start, a key theme of the Pop by Nature campaign has been “everyday joy.” How does this creative direction align with Chiquita’s broader goal of positioning bananas as the original grab-and-go healthy snack?

Bananas are already one of the most convenient and accessible foods, enjoyed by consumer around the world. Pop by Nature builds on that familiarity by elevating the banana from everyday staple to cultural symbol. By pairing nourishment with creativity and heritage, we reinforce both the functional and emotional strength of the brand as the ideal grab-and-go healthy snack.

The campaign includes social and digital media. How are you leveraging social media platforms to engage the coveted Gen Z and Millennial shoppers?

The campaign unfolds globally across social and digital channels with artwork reveals, storytelling content and immersive moments tied to Milan Design Week. The bold, expressive visuals are designed to be highly shareable and culturally relevant, helping younger audiences across all markets see Chiquita as a brand that participates in art, design and contemporary conversation.

In the second half of March, Chiquita launched a fun and creative collection of Instagram stickers featuring Miss Chiquita in a series of animated scenes from Jiaqi Wang’s artworks. Designed to add a touch of playfulness to everyday interactions, these digital stickers will be available for all users on Instagram, encouraging fans to share Miss Chiquita’s daily moments and bring her personality and values into their own social conversations, turning her charm and lively spirit into a new way of expression on the platform.

Meet the Produce Exec Behind One of Canada’s Top Women-Led Companies

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:31:21 GMT

Equifruit is proving that responsible sourcing and paying farmers fairly can translate to category growth in the banana aisle. For the second year in a row, the Montreal-based, Fairtrade International-certified business has secured a spot on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies , landing at No. 21 and signaling a major shift in how North American retailers approach the price-sensitive banana category.

Launched in 2025, The Globe and Mail ranking recognizes women-led businesses demonstrating strong, sustained revenue growth. As a Certified B Corp operating across North America, Equifruit says it integrates fair trade standards in its commercial strategy while expanding its footprint in one of the most competitive categories in fresh produce.

Since 2019, The Globe and Mail has also ranked the top growing companies in Canada — a larger list of 400 companies versus the women-led list of 44 companies — on which Equifruit has also nabbed a spot for the past four years.

“On the one hand, it’s always lovely to get recognition, and on the other, I think it’s a bit of a learning moment to think about what a comparatively small number of companies are women led and to reflect on the challenges that must be facing female entrepreneurs for there to be so few of us,” says Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Equifruit. “I’m proud to be part of the few. I would just love to see more.

“I think women still face all kinds of barriers,” Coleman continues. “These are not necessarily barriers that I faced, but in access to capital, in mentorship opportunities, in being in a room where your voice is heard and accepted and encouraged — that’s a big one, and that’s the one I feel is most constraining.”

Tariffs Make for a Tough Year

As The Globe and Mail’s top companies recognitions are based on the past three years of consecutive growth, Equifruit’s place on both lists is all the more meaningful given the company’s 2025 tariff woes .

“Last year was a tough year for Equifruit,” Coleman says. “I think it was a tough year for everybody, but the tariffs were challenging and our sales were more or less flat.”

For Equifruit, which imports its fair trade bananas from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, the April 5 baseline tariff of 10% the Trump administration imposed on nearly all countries slowed the momentum it had been building in the category for the last 20 years.

“You start to feel that you’re never going to make another sale, unless we do more of this advocacy that makes grocery decision-makers aware of the problem Equifruit is trying to solve with fair trade bananas,” she says.

Those tariffs were lifted in early November but not before the grocery industry learned a key lesson: bananas — a longtime loss leader — can command a higher price that consumers won’t hesitate to buy.

“Banana prices can rise, as we saw through tariffs, and the sun will still come up and people will still purchase them,” says Coleman, who notes
Equifruit has made some important gains at retail in a post-tariff North American trading landscape.

Growth at Retail

Equifruit’s expansion has been supported by retail partnerships across Canada and the U.S. Most recently, the company announced a new partnership with Canada’s Pattison Food Group , further strengthening its national presence.

Coleman says Equifruit’s growth is testament to retailers investing in “future-proofing their supply chains” with a women-owned, fair trade banana brand.

Its organic banana programs with Costco Wholesale Canada and Walmart Canada continue to grow, which Coleman says underscores retailer confidence in fair trade bananas as a values-driven offering in the produce aisle.

Advocating for Responsible Business

By connecting North American retailers and consumers with Fairtrade International-certified bananas, Equifruit says it contributes to a system designed to support farmers and workers as well as more equitable participation and leadership in agriculture.

To date, Equifruit has delivered over $5.5 million in fair trade premiums to Fairtrade International-certified banana growers and their communities.
Equifruit says these funds are democratically managed by the growers and invested in locally determined priorities such as education, health care, infrastructure and initiatives that advance gender equity and worker protections.

Women in Produce

Coleman sees The Globe and Mail Top Women-Led Companies list as an important recognition but thinks there’s still room for more women to lead in produce and other industries.

“I think the fact that The Globe and Mail has made this subset of women-led companies is a great start, because I think it offers role models for younger people,” she says.

The fair trade banana exec and her husband, Hugues Jacquin, who joined Equifruit as general manager last year, are both serving as role models. And Coleman says while she lacked a wealth of examples of women leading businesses in her childhood, she’s confident that won’t be the case for her children’s generation.

“I know it’s different for my kids, and I hope it’s different for all younger women,” she says. “They see you can have this cool, growing business that’s led by your mom. And you know, in our case, dad happens to have joined the company, but he’s joined mommy’s company. We just need these examples to be held up.”

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Equifruit Hires Owain Hoefle as Sales Manager for Western North America

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:32:23 GMT

Equifruit, a Montreal-based importer of Fairtrade International-certified bananas, has named Owain Hoefle sales manager for western North America. Based in British Columbia, Hoefle will be responsible for developing key retail relationships across Canada and the U.S.

Hoefle brings extensive experience in produce, floral and grocery to the role. During his 17 years at Pattison Food Group, he rose through the ranks from store-level operations to director of produce, floral and bulk, a role in which he developed deep expertise in category management and retail produce programs, according to a news release.

He most recently served as key account manager at Rainbow Greenhouses. Having worked on both the operational and commercial sides of grocery retail, Equifruit says Hoefle has a firsthand understanding of what it takes to build and sustain successful produce programs at scale.

“After two decades building relationships across retail, you develop a clear sense of what a great brand looks like, and Equifruit has built something genuinely worth representing,” says Hoefle. “I look forward to bringing that story to more retailers across western North America and growing a program that delivers real impact for farmers and communities.”

Hoefle joins Equifruit as the company continues its rapid growth across North America. Recently named to The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies list for the second consecutive year, Equifruit has expanded its Canadian footprint through a partnership with Pattison Food Group .

“Owain brings deep roots in western Canadian produce and experience building retail relationships in the markets we’re growing in,” says Kim Chackal, vice president of sales and marketing and co-owner of Equifruit. “We’ve long believed that the right people make all the difference in bringing Equifruit fair trade bananas to more shelves, and Owain is exactly the kind of seasoned, values-aligned team member who can do that.”

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Exp Group Scales Banana, Plantain Ripening With Catalytic Generators

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:03:13 GMT

To meet the growing demand for consistent, ready-to-sell bananas and plantains, North Bergen, N.J.-based Exp Group has continued to grow its ripening capacity and now manages more than 175,000 boxes of fruit per week, representing millions of boxes annually.

To facilitate this growth, Exp Group has grown from seven rooms in 2013 to 35 chambers today, operating across two facilities and serving 15 to 20 customers with different ripening requirements.

Exp Group says the expansion relies on its long-standing partnership with Catalytic Generators to support reliable, high-volume ripening across its expanding national network.

From left, Catalytic Generators’ Steve Page, José Manuel Villacis and Anthony Serafino of Exp Group and Greg Akins of Catalytic Generators are shown at Fruit Logistica 2026.

(Photo courtesy of Catalytic Generators)

For over three decades, Catalytic Generators has worked alongside Exp Group, supporting its evolution from a family-founded distributor into a large-scale ripening and distribution operation. Today, Greg Akins of Catalytic Generators and Anthony Serafino of Exp Group continue that legacy, leading their respective family businesses with a shared commitment to quality and long-term trust, they say.

Exp Group operates ripening and distribution facilities in New Jersey and Texas, handling close to 1 million boxes of fresh produce a month across its supply chain.

“Ripening is an art,” Serafino says. “Anyone can turn fruit yellow, but delivering the right color, shelf life and consistency for each customer requires discipline and precision.”

Precision at Scale

Catalytic Generators says its systems enable controlled and consistent ripening across high-volume operations. Easy-Ripe generators and Ethy-Gen II allow Exp Group to manage ripening cycles precisely and minimize variability.

“Ethylene should not be complicated. Our clients don’t want surprises. If they ask for a certain color, they expect exactly that,” Serafino says.

Simplicity in the ripening process is key, says the Norfolk, Va.-based Catalytic Generators, a company dedicated exclusively to ethylene application systems. It operates across the globe, supplying fresh produce companies, grocery distribution centers and growers with the tools to ripen avocados, bananas, tomatoes and more.

“Our goal is to make ethylene the easiest part of the ripening process, so operators can focus on serving customers and scaling their operations with confidence,” Akins says.

Scaling With Flexibility

Today, Exp Group manages 15 to 20 customers, each with different ripening requirements.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all model,” Serafino explains. “Some need slower cycles, others faster turnover. The system allows us to adapt without losing consistency. When you’re moving close to a million boxes a week, consistency isn’t optional; it’s essential.”

Supporting Last-Mile Quality

As Exp Group expands its distribution model, ripening remains critical to delivering consistent quality.

“Last-mile delivery is where quality meets the consumer,” Serafino says. “Catalytic Generators allows us to ripen efficiently and reliably, so the fruit arrives at the right condition every time.”

The company says it plans to continue expanding its ripening capacity as part of its long-term growth strategy.

15% Tariff Lifted on Ecuadorian Fruit, Floral Imports

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:54:50 GMT

The produce industry is celebrating the U.S.-Ecuador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade , which carries meaningful implications for importers of bananas, pineapples, mangoes and floral from Ecuador into the U.S. market, says the International Fresh Produce Association.

Under the agreement, the U.S. will apply most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff treatment to Ecuadorian cut flowers and agricultural goods such as bananas, pineapples and mangoes.

IFPA says this translates to the removal of the additional 15% tariff that has been in place, bringing effective duty rates back to the base MFN rate which varies by product. Under this agreement, Ecuador will also remove or reduce barriers on over 90% of the U.S. agriculture products exported into the country, which includes U.S. grown produce.

While full duty-free access was not achieved, as the Generalized System of Preferences has not been renewed, this agreement meaningfully reduces the cost burden on floral importers and helps restore more predictable trade flows, said IFPA in a news release.

“We are encouraged by this agreement and what it means for the movement of floral products from Ecuador into the U.S. market,” says Colleen Fagundus, IFPA’s director of floral. “Reducing these tariff barriers is an important step toward ensuring our members can operate with greater certainty and competitiveness. We will continue to advocate for further progress, including GSP renewal and additional reciprocal trade agreements in the region, that would benefit floral importers across the supply chain.”

IFPA says it is committed to monitoring developments as this agreement goes into practice, which is currently targeted for August 2026, and will keep members informed as additional details become available.

How Smart Ripening Rooms Are Cutting Waste and Boosting Retail Weights

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:59:05 GMT

From saving a quarter-pound of fruit per box to artificial intelligence-driven automation, digital technology is redefining the ripening room, says David Byrne, vice president of sales for Thermal Technologies.

“Tracking technology that tells you when and where your bananas originated and how long they spent in transit,” he says. “[There are] digital ripening controls and sensors that allow you to ripen proactively with pinpoint control over the results and, of course, the immense data-processing capabilities of artificial intelligence.”

Today’s ripening rooms help mitigate any potential issues that could occur in the transportation of bananas, Byrne says. Each step can impact the conversion of starch to sugars that occurs during ripening. He points out the technology in these modern rooms can take fruit that is poorly handled and allow the ripener to catch that fruit and stabilize it so it doesn’t arrive at the store overripe.

“Advanced probes and sensors also let you know the exact condition of the fruit and the room in real time, giving you the ability to monitor and adjust the ripening process as needed to ensure the best ripening results,” he says.

Byrne says, in the past, sensors that were used to monitor carbon dioxide and ethylene were unreliable. While ethylene speeds up ripening and CO2 inhibits ripening, ripening rooms in the past used venting to control these rooms by a timetable. Modern technology has streamlined that process.

“With the recent rollout of our new, highly reliable RipeScan optical gas analyzer, we can now control ripening based on gas levels in the room, venting when and as needed based on gases being produced during ripening,” Byrne says.

Maximizing Weight and Shelf Life

Other innovative technologies that also help reduce food waste include ultrasonic humidification and low TD (temperature difference) coils, which maintain high relative humidity naturally. Byrne says this can mean an additional quarter-pound more weight per box and increased shelf life by up to 12 hours or more.

“Together, they reduce stress on the fruit while protecting against dehydration and scarring,” he says.

Byrne says ripening rooms with multiple temperature control zones can ripen bananas to different color stages in the same unit. This means shippers could ship 10 pallets of the same color nearly every day using only three 20-pallet-capacity rooms. These ripening cycles can be synced to shipping schedules, he adds.

Pressurized ripening rooms also offer shippers flexibility, Byrne says, with the ability to ripen multiple fruits in the same room, such as one cycle for bananas and the next cycle for avocados. He says these rooms deliver consistent high-volume airflow to create uniform quality and color.

“Since ripening is essentially an organic process, the type of box or container doesn’t matter as long as we can uniformly produce the proper environmental conditions for every piece of fruit in the room,” he says.

Future of Automated Ripening

Looking ahead, Byrne says some large retailers have started to push for standardizing the ripening process across all distribution centers.

“The goal is to potentially automate the ripening process to achieve predictable, uniform ripening results at every store location, with centralized oversight at the corporate level,” he says.

Thermal Technologies has partnered with Strella Biotech, which offers an AI-assisted platform that deploys predictive data modeling to automate ripening. Byrne says Strella has begun to roll out this platform to some large retailers using Thermal Technologies’ rooms, which he says points to the continuing evolution of AI in the fresh produce industry space.

While Byrne says it’s hard to predict the future, he says it’s important for the fresh produce industry to be ready for what’s to come.

“From our perspective, the key is staying plugged in to all applicable technologies, to be out in front and prepared to implement them as they evolve, to stay flexible and to be ready to incorporate advancements when and as needed, to keep our clients on the cutting edge of technologies that maximize the fruit quality and ripening efficiency,” he says.

Pattison Food Group Sees Organic Fair Trade Bananas Shift From Price to Purpose

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:50:24 GMT

Bananas have always been considered a loss leader at retail. However, Justin McGregor, general manager of produce and bulk with Pattison Food Group, says a recent partnership with Equifruit to bring organic fair trade bananas to its banners is driving a shift in strategy.

Bananas, he says, are always popular at retail.

“It’s historically always done really well,” he says. “It’s an easy fruit for people to consume. It’s got a peel and you can take it wherever you go. It’s easy to peel and eat and consume. … There’s all sorts of snacking products being introduced that are trying to combat that and get in that space, but the banana has remained resilient.”

Beyond the fruit’s natural resilience, McGregor says driving sales first starts with execution with Pattison Food Group’s ripening teams, which carries onto its stores, including banners Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare, Buy-Low Foods, Quality Foods and Nesters Market.

“We have a program where we want to have the green tip fruit that are going to last a few days at the customer’s house, right through to ready-to-eat yellow, more ripe bananas displayed for our customers,” he says. “The most important thing, obviously, is what the store teams do and how that is executed at retail. It’s absolutely critical.”

Frictionless Education

McGregor says that while it’s easy to think that consumers wouldn’t pay more for produce, they do, heartily, if there’s a good story behind it. Yes, quality sells, but he says consumers have responded well every time Pattison Food Group has leaned into the storytelling behind the produce.

“It’s one thing to put it out there on the shelf,” he says. “It’s another to have content at the shelf signage or some way to share what differentiates that product. And we see when we do that … we always see the benefit.”

McGregor says digital elements such as QR codes also help consumers learn more about where their produce comes from. Recognizing that time is a premium for modern shoppers, McGregor says Pattison Food Group tries to make the educational experience as frictionless as possible.

“The message we want our customers to receive has to be done in a simple way, where it’s not overwhelming for them,” he says. “We try to keep the content and the message really clean, really clear, very concise, so they can understand what we’re trying to tell them. I still think there’s that component we have to consider that consumers don’t have a lot of time on their hands, but whatever we do or whatever sharing with them while they’re interested in it, it’s got to be done in a way that’s efficient for them.”

McGregor says he’s found consumers have been engaging with the content available at the display and on social media channels, which points to consumers’ hunger for more information.

“It just goes to show they want more content from retailers,” he says. “We’re really, really leaning into that any way we can, whether it’s at shelf or online or any other owned assets. We do a lot of work on our social channels and online and things like that to highlight some unique things about our products.”

McGregor says consumers also seek transparency and supply chain accountability.

“Obviously, there’s a growing alignment between our customers’ values and how they spend their money and what they purchase inside our stores,” he says. “That’s becoming more evident than ever, especially inside traditional retailers like us.”

McGregor says Pattison Food Group focuses on “frictionless education” to provide time-strapped consumers with transparent supply chain information directly at the point of purchase, such as this display at a Save on Foods store in Camarose, Alberta.

(Photo courtesy of Pattison Food Group)

From Price to Purpose

McGregor says that while fair trade organic bananas retail at a higher price, consumers have responded well to the message behind the produce, especially with strong displays.

“It’s a little bit more [of an] expensive shelf for consumers were with fair trade, but they’re telling us that it doesn’t matter,” he says. “Understanding the story behind it means a lot more to them, and they’re willing to pay a little bit more for that … When the displays are executed well with strong storytelling, it’s clear that consumers are engaging in that are willing to try something new, or what we’re seeing already is likely to continue purchasing.”

McGregor says this fits with a growing trend of consumers seeking to understand more about where the food they purchase comes from.

“Just in the short time since we’ve launched the fair trade banana program with Equifruit on the organic side, we’ve already seen big increases, and it’s driven mainly from the amount of signage we’ve displayed and the POS material that we work with the vendor on.”

McGregor notes that the success Pattison Food Group has seen with Equifruit fair trade organic bananas is due to Equifruit’s unique value proposition.

“We’re starting to see the consumer shift from price to purpose,” he says. “They’re happy to pay a little bit more to purchase a product they could feel good about knowing that it’s focused on worker welfare and things like that. I think you’re going to continue to see more retailers get behind programs like this as a way to highlight more value to the consumer just beyond cost per pound.”

He says shoppers are already responding to Equifruit’s community involvement, which makes them feel good about the bananas they’re purchasing.

“If we can continue to highlight things like ethical sourcing with items like bananas and how Equifruit is focused on community investment, customers feel good about knowing that their dollar goes somewhere that they could feel good about,” he says.

The Future of the Category

Despite a tight banana market in Canada and retail prices shifting, McGregor says he hasn’t seen a noticeable shift in purchasing trends.

“If you look at fair trade, that’s where some of the biggest price differences have been for us, and they’re still buying more than ever,” he says. “We seem to have traded up some consumers who would have bought conventional and are now paying more for fair trade products.”

McGregor says he doesn’t see any sign of consumers shifting from price to purpose ending any time soon.

“I think we’re starting to see a shift there in the banana category, and how it’s going to start changing over time here. … It’s really interesting to see that shift and now we’re trading people up to fair trade,” he says.

Trudi’s: The New Banana Brand Putting Women First

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:09:57 GMT

The banana industry is witnessing a significant shift with the launch of Trudi’s, a new consumer purpose-driven brand from Fyffes. Developed through extensive market research, Trudi’s aims to bridge the gap for consumers who want their grocery choices to reflect their social values.

“Trudi’s concept began with a thorough consumer understanding, gathering data from over 13,000 people on their banana buying habits in Europe and North America,” says Adriano Di Dia, chief marketing officer of Trudi’s. “With these insights, Fyffes realized that there is a very large group of consumers (well over 50%) who feel they are not being served by the current product offerings and are looking for an alternative. Trudi’s is that alternative.”

The banana industry is ripe for a change, Di Dia says, “and we’re up for the challenge. Our mission is simple. We want to show the world that nothing tastes better than knowing the fruit you eat is doing good. Every Trudi’s banana helps us deliver our ambition.”

Empowering the Backbone of Agriculture

The launch aligns with the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer. Julie Cournoyer, global director of sustainability for Fyffes, emphasizes the necessity of this focus.

“Across the globe, women are the essential foundation of our agri-food systems. They are central to our global food security and economic resilience, yet all too often, their contributions remain unrecognized and undervalued. Empowering women in the field could raise global GDP by $1 trillion and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people,” Cournoyer says. “We are thrilled that Trudi’s, along with CARE International U.K., is supporting 228 women in banana-growing communities in Costa Rica with the set-up of their own businesses. This is the kind of tangible and sustainable contribution that really makes a difference.”

Marking International Women’s Day 2026, Fyffes announced impressive six-month results from the Partnership for Good program. This collaboration between Trudi’s and CARE International U.K. focuses on strengthening autonomy and resilience in Costa Rican banana-growing communities.

According to the company, key achievements from the first six months include:

Widespread participation — 228 rural women across nine community groups enrolled in structured training.
Comprehensive training — Sessions covered personal empowerment, rights recognition, prevention of gender-based violence, leadership and financial management.
Entrepreneurial momentum — By December 2025, 108 formal business plans were submitted.

Proposed ventures range from agricultural production (livestock, eggs and vegetables) to service-based businesses like tailoring and beauty services, as well as value-added food processing.

To ensure the program’s success, an initial baseline study identified critical areas for improvement. At the start of the program:

Only 1% of participants used sustainable, climate-resilient farming practices.
77% of households reported some level of food insecurity.
Only 15% were aware of at least three of their human rights.

The next phase of the program will involve the distribution of seed capital to launch these enterprises and the implementation of climate-smart “kitchen gardens” to bolster local food security.

Looking Toward the U.S. Market

While currently making waves in Europe, Trudi’s has its sights set on North America. The brand notes that thousands of U.S. consumers were included in their initial research, confirming a strong appetite for a “brand that gives back.” Trudi’s has expressed an open invitation to U.S. retailers interested in bringing this socially conscious fruit to American shelves.

Innovation and Celebration Take Center Stage at SEPC Southern Exposure

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:21:00 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. — The energy at this year’s Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure was palpable as industry leaders gathered to showcase the future of the produce aisle. The following highlights from the show floor capture how top brands are leveraging premium packaging, fair trade storytelling and new product categories to capture the modern consumer’s attention.

Taylor Hazelwood and Hailey Clark are shown at Sun Belle’s Southern Exposure booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Taylor Hazelwood, vice president of sales for Sun Belle, says a trend she’s seeing is the evolution of the berry category and berry marketing.

“Anything that’s larger in size, the jumbos, the premium lines,” she says. “You’re seeing a little bit of a hit on convenience. You’re starting to see that come into play in some of the packs.”

Hailey Clark, marketing director for Sun Belle, says the berry category looks to pull in new shoppers.

“You have your traditional berry shoppers, but what about the person who is willing to spend a little more for a pack that they can throw in their kids’ lunchbox and they know it’s healthy?” she says.

Clark says Sun Belle seeks to keep not only its core customers happy, but it also looks to new consumers excited to try new flavors and eating experiences.

“It’s still healthy, it’s still reliable, it’s still a great option, but what can we do differently? What’s exciting?” she says. “I think the berry industry is diving into that a lot now, and it’s really fun, and we can do that through packaging, we can do that through variety-specific berries, through branding.”

Clark says branding helps build consumer loyalty.

“People look for brands; they become loyal to a brand if they have a really spectacular experience,” she says. “They want to look for that label again.”

Marianne Stamatelos, Shelby Dwyer, Madison Hopper and Kim Chackal are shown at Equifruit’s Southern Exposure booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Equifruit celebrates its 20th anniversary in a big way at the SEPC event with a caricaturist sketching booth visitors.

Kim Chackal, co-owner and vice president of sales and marketing for Equifruit, says that as the fair trade organic banana company marks its “Bananaversary,” many people are surprised to learn the company has been in existence for that long.

“We did a great job building brand awareness,” she says. “We have great feedback on marketing. People see the Equifruit booth as a destination, and people understand the brand.”

But the focus now turns to how fair trade organic bananas can help lead the category into more growth, Chackal says.

Whitney Lett and Dan Murphy are shown at Fresh from Florida’s Southern Exposure booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Whitney Lett, supervisor of retail and international trade for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, says Southern Exposure is a chance to reconnect with current partners and discuss promotions and plans.

The show is also about maintaining relationships, and she says she’s met with new retailers who learned about the programs available at the show.

“It’s night and day when you see them in person,” she says.

Nora Sherlock, Florida Watermelon Queen Shanie Keene, National Watermelon Queen Elanie Mason and Jill Barton are shown at the Jim Rash booth at Southern Exposure 2026.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

While a lot of the conversation at the Jim Rash booth focused on watermelon and a visit from both the Florida and national watermelon queens, many visitors talked about strawberries, says Jill Barton, president of Jim Rash.

“It’s a new commodity for us,” she notes.

Barton says Southern Exposure is a favorite event of hers, adding that she loves to connect with everyone at the show.

“This show is different because of the Southeast Produce Council,” she says.

Pattison Food Group Adds Equifruit As Organic Supplier

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:09:22 GMT

Western Canada retailer Pattison Food Group has transitioned its organic banana program supplier to Equifruit, a North American importer of Fairtrade International-certified bananas.

Equifruit says its fair trade organic bananas are now available at the following Pattison Food Group stores: Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare, Buy-Low Foods, Quality Foods and Nesters Market.

Through this partnership, the companies say Pattison Food Group and Equifruit will help support sustainable incomes and improved working conditions for banana growers in Latin America.

“Switching to Equifruit organic bananas is a natural fit for Pattison Food Group,” says Justin McGregor, general manager for produce and bulk at Pattison Food Group. “They share our values of fairness, transparency and collaboration that benefits everyone, from growers to shoppers.”

Equifruit says in addition to promoting fairer wages and safer working conditions, the Fairtrade standards prohibit child labor and support farmers to help reduce their environmental impact. Equifruit pays a Fairtrade premium directly to growers, which provides community funding for projects such as education programs, clean water facilities and housing improvements.

“In a highly volatile global banana market, fair trade provides a level of stability for banana farmers,” says Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Equifruit. “That stability allows them to invest in a better future for themselves and their communities and a more sustainable future for the banana industry.”

Your next read: How Tariffs Grounded Fair Trade Produce in 2025, Just as it Was Poised for Takeoff

Catalytic Generators Shares 2026 Global Expansion Strategy, Smart Ripening Innovation at Fruit Logistica 2026

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:42:03 GMT

BERLIN — At the recent Fruit Logistica 2026, Catalytic Generators, a family-owned company providing ethylene application systems for fruit ripening, shared its worldwide expansion strategy and offered an advance look at its soon-to-be-released digital control and remote monitoring for fruit ripening operations worldwide.

While the Norfolk, Va.-based company operates across the globe, supplying fresh produce companies, grocery distribution centers and growers with the tools to ripen bananas, avocados, tomatoes and more, banana ripening is a core part of Catalytic Generators’ business — something that’s critical to get right, says president and CEO Greg Akins.

“When fruit is ripened properly, evenly and to the right color, there’s less shrink and consumers return with their tastebuds,” Akins says.

Inside a ripening room in Europe.

(Photo courtesy of Catalytic Generators)

Helping to get the ripening process right is Catalytic Generators’ different conversion settings that allow users to set the parts per meter of ethylene.

“It’s set-it and forget-it technology, which is valuable because there’s no measuring required,” he says.

Safety is Key

Safety is another key tenet of Catalytic Generators’ business, Akins says.

“Our generators are very good at creating ethylene efficiently and safely, which is the hallmark of our business,” he says.

The company’s generators are certified by TÜV SÜD, a global, accredited technical services provider. Through rigorous testing of its generators and frequent inspections of its production facility, TÜV SÜD has certified Catalytic Generators’ compliance with international safety standards.

“TÜV is akin to UL [Underwriters Laboratories],” Akins says. “It shows our products have met the highest safety standards.”

Catalytic Generators manufactures both ethylene generators and ethylene concentrate.

The company says it’s working with an EU task force to ensure ethylene is reregistered as a legal and safe plant protection product while pursuing the necessary product approvals.

A Solution for Every Operation

The company offers a variety of sizes to suit the needs of different operations. At Fruit Logistica, the company showcased one of its Easy-Ripe models that is compact and narrow to help prevent it being hit by a forklift — something Akins says is a common issue. It’s also wall mountable.

For larger ripening centers, Catalytic Generators offers a centralized system that pumps ethylene liquid to every room through a tube that feeds the generators, so there’s no need to walk around and fill them, Akins says.

Smarter Ripening

Catalytic Generators says its core value proposition is to create a system designed to make ethylene application the easiest, safest and most predictable part of the ripening process.

“Once customers see how simple and dependable our system is in day-to-day use, the conversation quickly moves from ‘Why change?’ to ‘How fast can we implement?’” Akins says.

And it’s about to get even easier, he says.

At Fruit Logistica, Akins teased the company’s newest innovation that’s expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026: a digital platform that wirelessly connects its ethylene generators to a secure, cloud-based interface.

Through a dedicated web portal, customers will be able to view generator status in real time, confirm when ethylene application starts and ends or is interrupted, monitor Ethy-Gen II levels and receive alerts if performance is affected.

This gives operators confidence that ethylene application is correctly occurring during the critical 24-hour application period, Akins says. Generators can also be adjusted remotely and integrated with room control systems for optimized ethylene levels.

“This innovation gives ripeners peace of mind when it matters most,” Akins said in a news release. “Ethylene already works quietly in the background. Digital visibility will take it one step further by removing uncertainty and reinforcing our promise that ethylene should be the easiest part of ripening.”

Fair Trade Fruits Continue to Make Gains Despite Challenges

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:38:27 GMT

At the start of 2025, fair trade was eyeing growth, eager to build on hard-won momentum. While tariffs threatened to disrupt this trajectory, the year was still a win, says Rob Desson, senior business partnerships manager for fresh produce at Washington, D.C.-based Fairtrade America, the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International.

“2025 was a challenging, yet successful year for us,” Desson says. “Volumes of Fairtrade bananas imported into the U.S. market increased by an impressive 20.4% despite tariffs imposed on major banana-exporting countries and resulting market uncertainty. Our growth figures demonstrate Americans are still committed to supporting ethical sourcing that benefits farmers’ livelihoods despite a higher-cost environment and economic instability.”

While some fair trade produce companies — including Equifruit, a Montreal-based importer of Fairtrade International-certified bananas — say the additional cost of tariffs in 2025 put fair trade banana conversations on hold with some retailers, the future of fair trade in 2026 and beyond looks bright now that tariffs are in the rearview mirror.

“Tariffs may have slowed some retail conversations regarding Fairtrade programs, but we remain confident we will see future market growth in the years to come,” Desson says. “More American retailers are recognizing the long-term value and importance of supporting growers’ ability to invest in their businesses and make changes that increase resilience. Conversations with those mission-aligned partners are continuing.

“Fairtrade sourcing allows retailers to play a key role in shared responsibility throughout their supply chains and is a proven approach that’s been around for more than 30 years with high levels of consumer trust across Europe,” he adds. “We’re actively raising awareness of Fairtrade in the U.S., and consumers are pushing retailers in the right direction.”

Farmworkers tend to bananas on a fair-trade farm in Colombia.

(Photo: Juan Nicolás Becerra)

Desson says the 20% boost to Fairtrade banana imports into the U.S. last year is part of a longer-term growth of 38% from 2022-25.

“We expect this trajectory to continue in years to come as U.S. retailers strive to meet growing demand from their customers,” he says.

Room to Grow

Fairtrade-certified fresh fruit currently accounts for less than 1% of the total market, says Desson, who sees this as a huge opportunity for more sustainable sourcing across the category.

“As the impact of tariffs (and later their lifting on banana imports in November 2025) stabilizes and retailers, vendors and consumers adjust to the current economic climate, we expect to continue building on the momentum we have already seen in the U.S.,” he says. “We are forecasting volume growth in 2026 and expect to achieve this through fostering new and existing partnerships built upon shared responsibility in supply chains and long-term value.”

But there remain challenges to overcome.

“The biggest hurdle is the industry’s perception that banana pricing is highly elastic,” Desson says. “Our latest consumer insights show American shoppers are willing to pay more for Fairtrade bananas, yet retailers are hesitant to introduce small price increases in fear of losing market share.”

In reality, says Desson, switching to Fairtrade bananas would only cost the average American a total of $5 a year, making the fruit one of the most accessible entry points for shoppers interested in making more sustainable purchases.

“This small cost to the consumer now could have a huge impact on farmer livelihoods and help stabilize the banana industry in the face of climate shocks, like crop disease, floods and droughts,” he says.

Consumer Awareness Key to Furthering Fair Trade

While fair trade produce continues to gain ground, consumer enlightenment and education remain key to continued growth, industry insiders say.

“We have seen continued program growth and adoption across categories,” says Leslie Simmons, senior director of business development, fresh goods for the Oakland, Calif.-based Fair Trade USA.

In addition to increased certification and a rise in purchasing across retail partners, Simmons says the program itself continues to see growth.

“We’ve experienced 20% year-over-year program growth in 2024 and another 17% year-over-year (first through third quarters) in 2025,” Simmons says. “We have had 17 new brands join the Fair Trade Certified Produce program and 26 new farms launch programs across multiple major retailers.

“Even with tariffs and other economic headwinds, we have experienced overall growth,” she continues. “People are realizing that protecting people and our planet isn’t just a nice-to-have attribute: It’s the future of business.”

British Columbia-based greenhouse grower Windset Farms began partnering with fair trade-certified farms as part of its commitment to responsible sourcing, growing and ethical labor practices. It’s a partnership that supports transparency, worker well-being and long-term sustainability across the supply chain, says Marketing Manager Randi Church.

“Fair trade produce is grown with respect for workers, communities and the environment. For farmworkers, this means fair wages, safe working conditions and opportunities to have a voice in workplace and community decisions,” Church says.

Windset also says that practices like integrated pest management in its facilities reduce chemical use and create safer working environments.

“These methods help protect worker health while supporting environmental sustainability,” Church says.

But at the end of the day, one of the biggest challenges facing fair trade companies hoping to engage consumers is awareness and understanding, Church says.

“By including a fair trade logo on produce grown at certified farms, Windset works to increase transparency and education by sharing how fair-trade partnerships support both people and high-quality produce,” Church says.

Sharing the fair trade story is also a way to communicate with shoppers directly about the issues they care about. But collaboration is key, says Simmons, who adds that retailers and suppliers face many of the same challenges from labor to climate to quality and safety issues.

“Like any important and complex topic, we must tackle it together with storytelling and data,” she says. “We must leverage resources to support education, and we need to establish a common desire to talk about these issues within our associations, trade media and boardrooms.”

Desson agrees that clear consumer communication is crucial to continued growth for Fairtrade.

“What is crucial is retailers’ communications to their shoppers,” he says. “A switch to Fairtrade should be accompanied by in-store messaging and other marketing efforts to meet consumers where they are in terms of awareness and demonstrate the value and positive impact Fairtrade sourcing has amongst banana-growing communities.

“More Fairtrade options in the fresh produce aisle is something everyone will feel good about if the social and environmental standards required by our certification are communicated clearly,” he says.

Your next read: How Tariffs Grounded Fair Trade Produce in 2025, Just as It Was Poised for Takeoff

Yelloway Marks Breakthrough in Disease-Resistant Bananas, Aims to Safeguard Future of Industry

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:57:07 GMT

BERLIN — Yelloway, Chiquita’s innovation partnership with KeyGene, has announced what it says is a major breakthrough in future-proofing the banana industry: the completion of a banana pan-genome that accelerates breeding of disease‑resistant, climate‑resilient banana varieties.

With Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) continuing to spread worldwide and Black Sigatoka costing the banana industry more than $100 million annually in protective measures, the need for faster, more precise breeding has never been more urgent.

What’s a pan-genome and how can it help the banana industry respond to global disease threats?

A pan-genome is like a “treasure map,” Peter Steadman, director of sustainability for Chiquita, told The Packer at Fruit Logistica 2026. It’s a detailed map of a species’ genetic diversity that reveals the full range of variation found in bananas, enabling faster, more precise research and supporting the preservation of biodiversity.

Cavendish in Crisis

This understanding of genetic diversity is critical in an industry dominated by a single variety, as more than 95% of the banana export market is comprised of cavendish bananas.

“From a sustainability perspective, that’s a situation you don’t want to end up with,” says Gert Kema, board member of Yelloway and emeritus professor of phytopathology at Wageningen University. “There are increasing disease problems, and they revolve around two diseases: The first one is Fusarium wilt, and the second one is Black Sigatoka.

“Yelloway was founded as an innovation partnership between Chiquita and KeyGene with the final goal to deliver diversity to the retail store and to consumers,” Kema says.

With a market dominated by cavendish varieties, essentially one clone, the threat of disease potentially taking down an entire industry is real.

“We are spending around $100 million U.S. dollars a year spraying to stop Black Sigatoka disease,” Steadman says.

Black Sigatoka stops the plant from photosynthesizing, resulting in low yields of weak, small bananas.

“That’s a huge cost for any agricultural business to spend $100 million on something that doesn’t actually stop the disease,” he says. “We’re not growing more bananas; we’re just stopping it from getting worse, and that cycle is increasing all the time, especially in hot spots like Costa Rica.”

Adding to the challenge is the threat of TR4.

“We’ve spent millions on biosecurity to try and stop the movement of people in and out of our farms, because TR4 is a soilborne pathogen that can move just as easily in river water as it can on the boot of somebody’s shoe, and we want to try and minimize the risk of that,” Steadman says.

Being soilborne has accelerated the spread of TR4 exponentially.

“More and more countries are seeing it,” Steadman says. “It’s now been confirmed in Ecuador, which is a huge powerhouse of production, both for the conventional and the organic market.”

What’s more, Steadman says, TR4 can also be dormant in the soil for up to two years. “So, wherever we know it is now, it’s already two years ahead of us.”

Adding to the uncertainty, there’s no way to know exactly how much of banana production has been impacted by TR4.

“There isn’t an incentive mechanism for growers to come forward to acknowledge that they have TR4,” Steadman says. “There is no mechanism that exists out there to say, ‘OK, well, you have TR4, you can be compensated and assisted to move into something else.’”

But this is not the banana industry’s first disease epidemic.

The Fusarian fungus, also a soilborne fungus, caused the first major plant disease epidemic in bananas in Central America in the 1950s and wiped out supplies to the U.S., Kema says.

Enter the cavendish variety — a wild clone discovered in Southeast Asia that eventually made it to the U.K., where the Duke of Cavendish lent his name to the fruit growing in his botanical garden in Derbyshire, Kema explains.

“Why did cavendish emerge? Because it was super resistant and still is resistant to the strains that caused that first Fusarian wilt epidemic,” Kema says. “Then in the late ’60s, a new strain emerged in Southeast Asia, which we call now Tropical Race 4, and that is extremely pathogenic on cavendish.

“You have kind of repetition of history now, since the last 10 years, that strain has disseminated to 17 new countries in all major production areas, including Latin America,” he says. “Now cavendish is really under threat, and we have a global monoculture that is super susceptible to this fungus.”

Yelloway, Chiquita’s innovation partnership with KeyGene, has announced a major breakthrough in future-proofing the banana industry: the completion of a banana pan-genome that accelerates breeding of disease‑resistant, climate‑resilient banana varieties.

(Photo courtesy of Chiquita)

Critical Tool for Accelerating Disease-Resistant Bananas

Developed by KeyGene scientists using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology in a collaboration across the banana value chain with Innocent Drinks, which provided match funding for the project through its Farmer Innovation Fund, the banana pan-genome is a milestone and major step forward in Yelloway’s innovation roadmap.

As part of its commitment to shared progress, Yelloway says it will share this knowledge and provide access to the pan-genome for academic researchers through a dedicated web portal to foster collaboration in banana breeding and research.

What does the pan-genome breakthrough mean for the future of the banana industry?

“Our solution to the issues in the banana sector is novel varieties … more diversity of varieties in the fields,” says Anker Sorensen, vice president of new business at KeyGene in the Netherlands and a founder and board member of the Yelloway partnership. “Diversity is a result of diversity in the DNA of the plants, … so a pan-genome is a very powerful tool because it’s a precise description of the DNA diversity in all of the different banana accessions that we are using in the breeding program.”

The banana pan-genome has sequenced 52 wild banana species.

“We know from beginning to the end what the DNA sequence is, where the genes are. And for some of them, we already know what the genes are doing,” Sorensen says. “So, we can kind of predict what offspring will come out of the process.

“With the resolution of a pan-genome, we can go to the gene level and say, ‘this is the DNA variation in nature we are interested in, and that’s what we want to have in our future varieties,’” he adds.

Sorensen estimates Yelloway is five years out from commercially scalable, diversified banana varieties.

“The breeding program is geared toward developing this diversity and novel varieties continuously,” Sorensen says. “The first ones that we will start with are the ones that are resistant to the two main diseases, which we expect to have ready five years from now to be ready for commercial scale-up and production. After that five-year period, there will be new varieties arising continuously.”

While diversity with the goal of disease resistance is the initial goal, the pan-genome will allow for more nuanced cultivation down the road.

“Then we can start looking at other things like more yield, more steadiness — not falling over when there’s a lot of wind, more immunity to the things we are facing in terms of climate change, resilience to heat, resilience to frost,” Sorensen says. “These are all traits that are hidden in the DNA and our task is to find out where it’s hidden and then to make the smart combinations to have those traits in the new varieties. And this is exactly where the pan-genome comes in as a very, very powerful tool.”

And the pan-genome is a tool that Yelloway expects will continue to deliver.

“Our ultimate goal is to replace cavendish by not only one cultivar, but over time, delivering continuously new, innovative, disease-resistant varieties,” Kema says. “That’s what breeders do, and that’s the aim of Yelloway.”

Fueling a Favorite Fruit

Once again, The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2026 report of more than 1,000 consumers nationwide found that bananas are the No. 1 most-purchased fruit.

“Bananas play such an important role in our lives — in Europe, in North America. It’s a function of affordability,” Steadman says. “To be honest, it is one of the world’s most loved fruits because it is also the world’s most affordable fruit. And that’s what Yelloway helps safeguard.”

As the banana industry grapples with increasing production costs and insecurity, Yelloway hopes to bring more stability to supply and more sustainability to the farming system, he says.

“What we’re doing is guaranteeing long-term supply, long-term security of supply, long-term affordability of bananas — both for our retail customers and for the consumers, which I think is very important, the ability to put to buy five bananas per child and let’s put it in the lunch box every day. That’s something really important for nutrition and food security.”

Steadman says Yelloway is also committed to safeguarding the banana industry for the communities that grow them.

“There are also hundreds of millions of people around the world that rely on the banana industry, whether it’s for employment or for food security,” he says. “We want to help by making bananas more secure. We know very well how reliant the communities within which we work are upon the banana industry for their income.”

Yelloway also understands that the need for continual innovation is key to a sustainable banana supply, as there will always be new disease and climate pressures on the horizon.

“Yelloway is an innovation partnership. And this is a pipeline that will continue into the future because Black Sigatoka is not going to just be fixed once and go away,” Steadman says. “We’re going to have to keep releasing new varieties into the future. We can also look at the market, what the market wants, and that’s what this innovation pipeline has created for us is safeguarding the future of the industry.”

How Tariffs Grounded Fair Trade Produce in 2025, Just as It Was Poised for Takeoff

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:38:53 GMT

Heading into 2025, all signs pointed to a breakthrough year for fair trade in the U.S. Then came tariffs.

“We had a ton of momentum going into 2025, and I would say it felt like it was going to be a breakthrough year,” says Kim Chackal, co-owner and vice president of sales and marketing for Equifruit, a Montreal-based importer of Fairtrade International-certified bananas from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. “We had some new relationships that were developing and looking very promising, but now that 2025 is behind us, it really was the year of the tariff.”

For Equifruit, which is marking 20 years in the fair trade banana business this year, the April 5 baseline tariff of 10% the Trump administration imposed on nearly all countries slowed the momentum it had been building in the category for two decades.

“What we saw is that retailers who had been talking with us for years and who were finally wrapping their minds around paying more for fair trade bananas — once that additional layer of tariff came in, it just blew up the conversations in many cases,” Chackal says. “It put conversations on hold where they just weren’t ready to pass that additional layer of cost [on top of tariffs] to their customers.”

And then an interesting thing happened.

For years, Equifruit has worked to show retailers that the additional cost of fair trade on bananas, already the cheapest item in the produce department, is only about $5 a year — the equivalent cost to a cup of coffee. But some retailers remained reticent to raise the price of bananas even a little, fearing customer reaction.

“The most significant thing that came out of this ... was that we saw retailers in a position where, assuming that their vendors passed on the tariff cost, they were, in many cases, forced to pass on that cost to their customer in some way,” she says. “And so, for the first time, there was this mass case study on what happens when you raise the price of bananas.

“We saw everybody from the largest retailers to the smallest retailers increase their retails on bananas, and whether it was 5 cents a pound, or 10 or 20 or whatever it was, we saw that tonnage remain flat,” Chackal continues. “It’s been an incredibly powerful part of the conversation with Equifruit and retailers, especially in the U.S., to say, ‘Well, remember 2025 when you did raise your banana prices?’”

With the fear of “what if?” behind retailers wondering if there would be customer fallout with higher banana prices, fair trade fruit may be better positioned for a fair shake moving forward.

“I feel like it set us up for success, because retailers have now lived through raising banana prices,” she says.

Most Equifruit bananas are sourced from Ecuador.

(Photo by Guillermo Marcelo Cantillo Freja)

Moving Fair Trade Forward

Equifruit imports the majority of its 100% Fairtrade International-certified bananas (most of which are also organic) from Ecuador, which was impacted twice by tariffs in 2025: first in April at 10% and then in August when those tariffs increased to 15%. The tariffs were finally lifted in November, clearing the way for a more promising year ahead.

“Thank goodness, as we were finalizing contracts or submitting bids for 2026, the tariffs finally lifted, and that was just no longer part of the conversation,” Chackal says.

The even better news for fair trade products, Chackal adds, is consumers are craving meaningful brands.

“We’re on the other side of tariffs, and we’re in this landscape now where I feel like there’s this even greater desire, not just for Gen Z and millennials, but there really is a pull towards brands that are solving the world’s problems, and a real interest in wanting to do the right thing,” she says.

Chackal sees other certifications resonating with today’s consumer as well.

“In the case of Equifruit being 100% Fairtrade [International]-certified since Day 1, being a women-owned brand, being a [Certified] B Corp, these are all parts of our value add that we are putting forward in this year’s communication in a really significant way, as we celebrate 20 years in business,” she says.

Chackal says the company is redesigning its website and packaging to increase customer awareness around what defines Equifruit as a company.

“We think that that’s going to pull in a new customer base for us and further drive the connection that we have with our current advocates,” she says.

The majority of Equifruit fair trade bananas are also organic.

(Photo courtesy of Equifruit)

Rooted in Relationships

Another lesson learned from tariffs goes back to Equifruit’s relationship with its fair trade suppliers.

In the thick of the tariff wars or wild weather, Equifruit says its relationships with suppliers remain steady.

“What is so big to grower-packer-shippers like Equifruit, who are 100% fair trade certified, is we already have long-standing relationships with our growing partners, which helps supply during dramatic events in the banana industry and helped really protect us,” Chackal says.

She says she sees organic banana supplies as one of the biggest challenges facing retailers.

“If we look specifically at organic bananas, and the year-over-year growth of that category, there’s really limited supply,” Chackal says. “There’s only a handful of countries that can produce organic bananas. I believe it’s only five countries that can produce organic bananas, and so with the growing demand and the limited supply, the challenge for retailers is that if they want to stick with this artificially low price structure, at a certain point, they will not have the supply to meet the growing demand.

“And that’s where we’ve found the solution is in partnering with fair trade farms. They prioritize Equifruit as a customer,” she continues. “Our growers stuck with us through all those challenges that the industry faced as a whole, and we’re channeling that experience into producing more content from a sales perspective that really frames fair trade bananas as a risk mitigation strategy for long-term scalability of a key item in the produce department.“

Expansion on the Horizon

Equifruit, which is now in 80% of Costco Canada warehouses as the organic, fair trade banana, says it experienced a lot of growth in Canada last year. It’s growth that is continuing in 2026.

This week Equifruit is launching with the Pattison Food Group, a Canadian grocer with 11 retail banners and more than 300 locations, and with Calgary Co-op, one of the largest retail cooperatives in North America.

“Our team has been coordinating marketing and communication strategies with all these stores, and it’ll really widen our footprint in western Canada,” Chackal says.

Equifruit has made the Globe and Mail annual report that ranks Canada’s Top Growing Companies for four years in a row. It’s also made Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies for two consecutive years.

In terms of its U.S. presence, Equifruit has an organic, fair trade banana program in the New York area with Costco and hopes to expand further.

“There’s been so much momentum around Equifruit as a brand,” Chackal says. “And so, yes, although we had the bummer of the tariff last year, at the same time, we are seeing an explosion around brand awareness, and I think that has been the fruit of our labor from a marketing perspective.”

Kapi Kapi Growers Names Business Development Manager

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:38:02 GMT

Kapi Kapi Growers announced Jan. 5 that it has appointed Jake Kamysz as business development manager. Based in South Florida, Kamysz will support the grower-shipper’s sustainably grown pineapple, banana and plantain programs.

Kamysz has more than a decade of produce industry experience, including an extensive background in pineapple sales and program management. He officially joined Kapi Kapi on Oct. 27 and immediately began supporting key customer initiatives and business development efforts, the company says.

“I’m happy to jump back into the pineapple business,” Kamysz says. “Seeing the investment that Kapi is making to create a better quality and more sustainable product out of Costa Rica makes me want to be a part of building the Kapi program and supporting the brand.”

Kamysz began his produce career working directly with pineapple imports and spent about seven years focused on the category before expanding into broader tropical and fruit programs. Most recently, he served as sales executive at one of the largest North American fruit importers, where he was responsible for planning, sales and execution of full-basket citrus, grape and stone fruit programs while targeting new retail and wholesale customers, according to Kapi Kapi.

Prior to that, Kamysz held senior sales and category leadership roles at other notable growers and importers, where he managed high-volume programs, negotiated long-term retail contracts, led sales teams and coordinated promotions aligned with production volumes. His experience spans retail, wholesale and foodservice channels, with a strong emphasis on forecasting, pricing strategy and customer collaboration, the company says.

“We recognize that with our growth over the last year, we need to build out our talent base with experienced people that really know the banana, pineapple and plantain business,” says Sofia Acon, president of Kapi Kapi Growers. “Jake offers the depth of experience required to meet today’s growth demands while helping drive the company forward. He has already made a tremendous impact, seamlessly stepping into the role.”

Banana Exports From Ecuador Remain Positive

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 16:11:39 GMT

Ecuadorian banana exports recorded cumulative growth of 3.38% through November 2025, equivalent to 344.9 million boxes shipped, according to the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador.

The group notes that, while the year-to-date performance remains positive and close to 3%, November showed a slight slowdown compared with October, adding that expansion depends on a handful of key markets and only a partial improvement in weather conditions.

Over the year, export performance has shown two clearly differentiated phases. In the first half, the sector was most active between April and June, when cumulative growth exceeded 5%, driven by a strong monthly rebound. From July through September, the pace slowed, reflecting reduced seasonal demand and less favorable conditions.

Growth in Ecuadorian banana exports is highly concentrated, the association highlighted. Russia and the European Union account for more than half of the year’s total expansion. Russia has consolidated its position as the main growth driver, with annual growth close to 17% and a contribution of more than 3 percentage points, while the European Union contributes around 2.2 percentage points with annual growth of 7.6%.

The Middle East and the U.S. also support the positive result, though with more moderate contributions. In contrast, exports to regions such as Africa, Central Asia, the United Kingdom, Oceania and the Southern Cone continue to contract. The association says this shows Ecuador’s positive performance in banana exports is driven by the selective recovery of a few markets rather than a generalized improvement in global demand.

On the production side, improved weather conditions in November helped stabilize export supply. On average, temperatures increased slightly year-on-year, while bagging activity rose by about 0.8%. Both conditions are consistent with a more favorable environment for productivity and harvest scheduling. Although week-to-week variability persists, these averages suggest some relief compared with the cooler conditions seen in previous months, supporting the export rebound in November.

This performance is also in line with developments in the European market, where by late November a slight improvement in demand and a gradual reduction in inventories were observed. After several weeks of downward pressure on prices, consumption stabilization helped slow stock accumulation and halt price erosion, creating a slightly more favorable environment for Latin American exports, the association says.

Bananas the No. 1 Fruit in Europe

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:53:00 GMT

Global banana and fruit producers and distributor, Fyffes, has released its recent European consumer research, which confirms the popularity of bananas as the consumer’s No. 1 favorite fruit.

The research, undertaken by NielsenIQ with more than 7,000 consumers across Europe, shows bananas continue to be the public’s favorite fruit with 89% of consumers confirming they have eaten bananas within the previous four weeks.

Conducted in March 2025, this survey is part of Fyffes’ ongoing market research, the company says.

Fyffes says the research shows consumers’ second favorite fruit at 75% are apples, followed in third place by oranges at 56% and grapes in fourth place at 44%.

“We are thrilled that bananas are the favorite fruit of consumers with the highest household penetration across Europe,” says Adriano Di Dia, chief marketing officer for Fyffes. “It is a testament to a fruit that is tasty, nutritious, convenient and sustainable. The research not only confirms banana popularity but also gives us very valuable insights that guide us in the development of marketing strategies and market expansion plans. We’re delighted to share it with the sector and our retail partners.”

Fyffes says bananas also topped European consumers’ consumption frequency, out-placing all others under every heading with an at least weekly (72%), monthly (95%) and quarterly (98%) consumption figure.

The survey also showed 59% of consumers admitted to not remembering the price they had paid for their most recent banana purchase, reducing to 27% who roughly remembered and 14% who recalled the exact price they had paid.

In all, 13 fruits were surveyed ranked in descending order of consumer choice for consumption in the past six months as follows: banana (95%), apple (89%), oranges (74%), grapes (74%), berries (71%), pear (64%), melon (60%), lemon (60%), avocado (58%), pineapple (57%), peach (45%), mango (43%) and papaya (10%).

When asked why consumers purchase bananas, most consumers ranked “to satisfy my appetite” highest at 34%, followed by “to have a convenient and quick snack” at 27% and “to support my healthy diet” in third place at 24%.

Fyffes says other points of interest revealed in the survey show that, for the majority of consumers, bananas are a “planned in advance” purchase for upward of 65%. While a majority of those surveyed prefer to eat their banana when fully ripe and yellow skinned, a significant number (22%) preferred bananas that are more green than yellow at the time of purchase.

Fyffes Partners to Improve Housing for Colombian Banana-Farming Families

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:42:35 GMT

More than 300 banana-farming families in Colombia’s Magdalena region now have safer, healthier homes thanks to the five-year Building Dreams project.

Launched in 2020 as a partnership between Fyffes, the Albert Heijn Foundation — a benefit group working to improve conditions for those working in the fruit and vegetable supply chain — and the banana-trading company Banasan Foundation and Banasan-affiliated corporations, the project was designed to improve living conditions, sanitation and well-being for banana-growing communities.

The initiative was also supported by Fairtrade partner corporations such as Corporagros, Corporación Vitalban, and the producing companies Banex, Banapalma and Frutesa, whose contributions helped ensure a holistic community approach to the program.

According to the partnership, the project has delivered significant improvements in families’ quality of life, including better access to health services, enhanced water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, improved education opportunities and a healthier environment.

“Before, I used to say that I hated the rain because the roof of my house was made of plastic, we didn’t have a proper bathroom, and the house was in very poor condition,” says María Lara, a beneficiary of the program and a mother of four children. “Now, my children can study and sleep comfortably. This project has given us back our hope and dignity.”

Following UN guidelines on the Right to Adequate Housing, the project assessed each family’s needs to prioritize essential upgrades such as sanitation, kitchens and structural safety. The Banasan Foundation also conducted a needs identification survey to gain further insight into family relationships, community coexistence and broader social concerns.

Reflecting on the project

At a recent ceremony marking five years of the project, partners reflected on the impact of the initiative, which combines infrastructure upgrades, psychosocial support and environmental education.

“I am privileged and delighted to have met with local families today who have had their lives transformed through the Building Dreams program,” says Erik Vorenkamp, president of the Albert Heijn Foundation. “Not only have we provided improved living conditions for these families, but we have also improved their quality of life and personal development through the psychosocial support program.”

Julie Cournoyer, Fyffes global director of sustainability, comments: “A critical sustainability priority for Fyffes is building resilient communities and contributing to their economic development and enrichment. Long-term partnerships with our customers and suppliers such as Albert Heijn and Banasan, give us the capacity to develop truly impactful and life-changing programmes such as Building Dreams. We are immensely grateful to the Albert Heijn and the Banasan Foundations for making dreams a reality for these families.”

“Seeing local families enjoying their refurbished homes shows we have delivered real impact both for local communities and the banana industry,” adds Edgar Chalhoub, representing Banasan. “We look forward to continuing to work with Fyffes and Albert Heijn to improve the living conditions of farm workers and their families in Magdalena.”

As part of Banasan’s 20^th anniversary celebrations, the partnership is also now investing in education in the Magdalena banana-growing region. The Great Alliance for Education project will invest in the construction and renovation of key infrastructure for the Institución Educativa Departmental Rodrigo Vives, a primary and secondary school institution in Orihueca, including new classrooms, a cafeteria, a computer room, and sports and recreation areas to create a more inclusive and inspiring space for 658 students.

Equifruit’s Jennie Coleman Named One of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:13:43 GMT

Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Montreal-based Fairtrade International-certified banana company Equifruit, has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network for 2025.

Since acquiring Equifruit in 2013, Coleman has propelled the company’s growth while prioritizing ethical business practices, according to the company. Equifruit says the award shines a spotlight on her visionary leadership and impact-driven ethos.

Last month, Equifruit once again made The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s top growing companies , an achievement it has reached for four consecutive years.

“I’m deeply grateful to be recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women,” Coleman said in a news release. “Equifruit might not be ‘powerful’ in the conventional sense of the word, we don’t have massive assets or a global workforce. But what we do have is the strength of our moral clarity. We know what we stand for, what we’re trying to achieve, and we refuse to compromise on our values. Power, I’ve learned, doesn’t have to come from scale, it comes from purpose.”

As a Certified B Corp , Equifruit’s ethical business values are legally embedded through a “mission lock,” the company says. This legal commitment to business as a force for good, a core part of the B Corp certification, means that Equifruit’s principles are central to the business even as it grows and develops.

The WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women award recognizes women who make a transformational difference in their fields. Coleman joins the ranks of previous winners including Lisa LaFlamme, award-winning international journalist; Makaziwe Mandela, global activist and daughter of Nelson Mandela; and Rona Ambrose, former leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons.

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Fresh Produce Focuses on Growth, Health Amid Tariff and Trade Tensions

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:27:40 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. — While tariffs and trade uncertainty persist, the fresh produce industry remains focused on growth and increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This commitment to “Fight for Fresh” was evident in every aisle of the recent International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association‘s Shannon Sommerauer and Jeff Hall pose with some uniquely Canadian treats at the IFPA Global Show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

CPMA Talks Tariffs

At the Canadian Produce Marketing Association booth, Shannon Sommerauer, senior director, government relations, discussed the importance of free trade for fresh fruits and vegetables in North America.

“We’re happy the Canadian government removed most of the retaliatory tariffs,” says Sommerauer, referring to the government’s move on Sept. 1. But she also says it feels a bit like the “calm before the storm.”

“We’re looking to work with the U.S., Mexico and Canada to put the message to all three governments that tariff-free produce is what we need,” she says. “We hope that by putting that collective voice to all three governments, we really mitigate any unintended consequences.”

Sommerauer says the U.S. is a critically important export market for Canada, especially for highly perishable produce.

While potatoes can travel to export markets with relative ease, cucumbers are another story, she says.

“It’s a key reason the U.S. has been such an important market for us,” she says.

“We’re hearing from everyone that they don’t want tariffs,” Sommerauer adds. “They’re no help in making fresh food more accessible.”

The Equifruit team celebrates feeling good about paying banana farmers fairly.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

‘Banana Badasses’ Pose for Wellness

Known for its attention-grabbing marketing and dynamic trade show booth themes — all in the name of fairer wages and better conditions for banana farmers — Equifruit didn’t disappoint at the IFPA Global Show.

The Montreal-based Fairtrade International-certified banana company promoted fair-trade bananas as the ultimate wellness product. It’s simple, says the Equifruit team: “Wellness is all about feeling good. And paying banana farmers fairly makes you feel good.”

In September, Equifruit was named one of Canada’s top growing companies by The Globe and Mail for a fourth consecutive year. Ranked No. 174 with a growth rate of 195%, it marked the company’s highest position on the list yet, up from No. 229 in 2024.

Even with the growth, Equifruit still has work to do in the U.S. market, where it continues to communicate its message that a switch to fair-trade bananas only costs $5 a year, says Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Equifruit.

Now tariffs are threatening to disrupt these efforts.

“We finally got to a place where consumers have accepted [a modest price increase on fair-trade bananas] and then tariffs eat all that up on a product that can’t be grown in the U.S.,” Coleman says.

But Coleman is keeping her eye on the prize of better and fairer conditions for banana growers.

“We’re excited and amazed by our brand recognition,” she says. “Tariffs will pass, and our values will remain. And when people are ready, we’ll be there.”

Lipman Family Farms’ Morgan Stuckart discusses the benefits of being a vertically integrated company.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Lipman Family Farms Focuses on Fresh Cut

Lipman Family Farms, a vertically integrated grower-packer-distributor, grows tomatoes in California, Florida, Canada and Mexico, giving it a unique perspective on both tariffs and the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement.

“We support the fairest trade and prices for all,” says Lipman Family Farms Marketing and Communications Manager Morgan Stuckart. “It affects everyone.”

Lipman operates greenhouses in both Jalisco, Mexico, and in Canada, enabling year-round supply; while there may be tariff and trade turbulence, the company is focused on what it can control — including expanding the fresh cuts side of its business for both retail and restaurant foodservice.

“Fresh cut has grown exponentially for us in the last 10 years,” Stuckart says. “We’ve grown from three facilities to now eight.”

Stuckart says Lipman’s customers are looking for more convenience, labor-saving solutions and the highest food safety standards, which its custom, fresh cut program provides.

“Labor is always an issue,” she says. “With our products our foodservice customers can make the most of their time in the back of the house. Restaurant staff can go home an hour earlier to their family because they’re not chopping after close.”

Stuckart says this support on labor and consistency of food safety to support growth has been a “big ask” from Lipman’s customers.

And as a vertically integrated company, Lipman has greater control over the entire field to table process.

“Ninety-five percent of the seeds we grow were created in house by our genetic scientists,” says Stuckart, pointing to Lipman’s Crimson Tomatoes that are field-grown from a proprietary seed.

“We’re continuing to improve our tomatoes with better disease resistance and stem strength,” she says. “Crimsons are great for slicing and have a stronger skin. They also have a deep red color, meatier center and great flavor.

“We truly created the Crimson Tomato from the ground up,” she says.

Zespri Marks Record Season

Despite economic headwinds and competition from other fruit categories this summer, Zespri says it fueled double-digit growth with an earlier start to the season, expanded distribution of Zespri green, organic and Zespri RubyRed and continued strong consumer demand for Zespri SunGold kiwifruit. Zespri says these efforts have made kiwifruit the fastest-growing category in the fruit department, according to Circana data.

Canada currently takes 1.5% of total global kiwifruit production, says Zespri CEO Jason Tebrake, who adds the goal is to reach 3% to 4% of global production with Canada in the next four to five years and then “see if it continues to grow from there.”

But the U.S. is a “growth market,” says Tebrake. “This was the biggest season we’ve ever had. We increased volume to the U.S. by 30%.”

The brand says it’s investing in distribution and shopper programs that not only grow Zespri but the entire kiwifruit category.

Tebrake says that “even with tariffs concerns, [Zespri] is taking a long-term strategic” view. “We’re focused on giving the consumer a great experience,” he says.

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Banana Marketing Future Lies in New Varieties and Organics

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:38:11 GMT

Bananas are something of an enigma of produce purchasing in the U.S.

On the one hand, they are one of Americans’ favorite fruits. According to the International Fresh Produce Association , bananas were the most consumed fruit in the U.S. in 2023. In The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2025 report , 81% of respondents reported buying bananas in the previous year, eclipsing even apples (80%).

There’s also a lot of them to go around. According to USDA Economic Resource Service’s noncitrus fruit yearbook , there were 26.7 pounds of bananas available per person in 2023 (most recent complete data). This compares to the 17.9 pounds of apples available per person. Plus, bananas are not only the most purchased fruit by both frequency and volume, but they are the most commonly purchased item in the entire grocery store, representing about 1% of all sales.

Speaking of sales, bananas are also spectacularly cheap. According to USDA ERS data , the average price of apples in 2022 (most recent complete comparative data) was $1.85 per pound. For bananas, it was 60 cents. And, unlike local produce that sees seasonal price fluctuations, banana prices stay remarkably stable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the average price of bananas in August 2025 was 67 cents per pound and has remained relatively flat for decades.

Notice the comparative flatness of the average retail price of bananas (green) over the years compared to oranges (orange) and tomatoes (red), which fluctuate seasonally and from year to year.

(Chart courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

On the other hand, the banana is such a must-have staple to so many people, that picking up a bunch is almost automatic. And therein lies a problem.

“One of the biggest marketing challenges for bananas is that many shoppers perceive them as a routine, or even a boring purchase,” says Ahiby Rodriguez, trade marketing manager for Fyffes North America. “Since bananas have become such a staple in shoppers’ shopping lists, the category has lost excitement or the emotional connection with shoppers.”

But there is excitement to be had with the banana, just not necessarily always the good kind. Weather and climate challenges, international trade issues, spreading diseases and the shifting trends in consumer interest are all poised to shake things up when it comes to banana marketing.

Global Supplies Mean Global Challenges

While bananas, particularly the familiar cavendish variety, are the most popular fruit in the U.S., they are also the most popular fruit in the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations notes that “bananas are among the most produced, traded and consumed fruits globally,” with the cavendish representing just under half of global production and the most traded.

FAO’s most recent Banana Market Review described the U.S. as one of the top destinations of the world’s bananas, consuming almost 22% of global banana imports. This makes it second behind the European Union (28%) and ahead of China (9%) and Russia (6.1%). According to ERS, the U.S. has imported all of its bananas since 2012, with 85% of that total coming from Guatemala (41%), Ecuador (19%), Costa Rica (16%) and Honduras (9%).

Together, these details mean U.S. banana availability — and potentially price — can be impacted by global issues.

“Global climate change and extreme weather, particularly in Honduras, are reducing production, forcing significant new investment in water management,” notes William Goldfield, director of communications at Dole.

FAO similarly reported weather-related issues in Guatemala in 2024, citing Hurricane Beryl in July as having destroyed planted banana acres and damaging the quality of those supplies that remained. The result was a 3.5% decline in Guatemalan banana shipments in 2024.

According to ERS, weather, specifically La Niña-related cool weather in Central America, has reduced banana imports into the U.S. in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.

But global trade conditions are also playing a role in current conditions. According to Goldfield: “geopolitical factors, import duties and tariffs, and increased demand from Asia and Eastern Europe are impacting market availability and needs for spot purchasing in Ecuador. All of these factors have disrupted available supply this year and we expect this trend to continue in 2026.”

The TR4 Threat

One banana challenge that is guaranteed to continue into the future is the spread of disease, particularly the latest strain of the fusarium wilt fungus, best known as Tropical Race 4, which threatens global cavendish production .

According to FAO, TR4 has been confirmed in 24 countries across South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania and Latin America, including Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. The fungus causes production losses where it exists. It can also cause substantial costs where it doesn’t exist, as resource- and labor-intensive preventive efforts are growers’ primary strategy since “no effective fungicide or other eradication method is currently available.”

“Dole and other producers continue to search solutions to the challenge caused by TR4,” Goldfield says. “The industry has been doing a good job containing the propagation of TR4 so far, but unfortunately, TR4 has just recently been reported in Ecuador, the largest banana exporter in the world, increasing the urgency to discover solutions.”

He adds that, while banana prices in the U.S. will ultimately be driven by supply and demand, “because TR4 has the potential to eliminate infected plantations and leave them out of production for 20-plus years, operations costs will reflect the immediate and necessary investment in infrastructure and research to successfully contain the TR4 spread.”

Rodriguez says the industry has made important progress towards that effort through disease prevention and “protective farming practices,” but still calls the disease “one of the most serious challenges for global banana production.”

FAO similarly characterized the disease. It added, however: “Some breakthroughs in the engineering of resistant varieties have been achieved recently, but it remains to be seen if traders, retailers and consumers will accept these new varieties.”

Opportunities in New Varieties

Luckily for banana marketers, consumers seem receptive to new varieties and other value-added characteristics like organic or fair trade.

Both Rodriguez and Goldfield report that consumers have a growing interest in more exotic banana varieties. These include red bananas, baby bananas (also known as “lady fingers”), burro bananas, manzanos and plantains. This being driven not only by the companies’ need to diversify in the face of threats like TR4 but also by shifting consumer food interests.

“This trend is being driven by the influence of multicultural cuisines and by consumers seeking new flavors and snacking experiences within the category,” Rodriguez says.

Goldfield agrees, saying consumer demand for “spicier, more exotic and flavorful foods, dishes and recipes” is driving gains in the exotic banana category.

“Plantains lead the exotics category in sales growth and increased 8% in 2025 alone in spite of supply disruptions — the result of more aggressive promotion at Dole and other producers as well as Latin-inspired flavors continuing to move into the mainstream of North American eating habits,” he says.

Goldfield sees “increased widespread promotion of new varieties and organic” as the biggest banana marketing trend for the future. It’s one dictated as much by consumer interest as industry necessity in the face of TR4, he adds.

“You can see this in last year’s ‘Swicy’ food trend, which featured a resurgence of foods and drinks combining sweet and spicy flavors,” he says. “At Dole, we leveraged this ‘swicy’ trend with recipes like our Sweet and Spicy Plantain Soup and Sweet and Spicy Tamarindo Dole Whip, both made with Dole plantains.”

Goldfield says that while Dole used to position its more exotic varieties to “younger, more adventurous consumers,” the trend is catching on with more mainstream American banana lovers as well.

Organic, Fair Trade and Beyond

Another banana trend that is led by younger consumers but is catching on with all banana consumers is increasing interest in organic bananas.

According to The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2025 report, the youngest shoppers (aged 18 to 29) reported they were as likely to buy organic bananas as they were to buy conventional. For those aged 30 to 39, the trend was very similar. Reports of organic banana buying declined as the age of the respondent increased, but they have stayed steady or increased year over year in all categories recently.

ERS data supports this overall growth in organic bananas. In 2024, roughly 13% of bananas coming into the U.S. were certified organic compared to about 7% a decade earlier.

“Today, organics represent approximately 16% of retail banana volume sales and its demand continues to rise double digits every year,” says Rodriguez, citing Circana data through early September 2025. She adds consumers, particularly Gen Z and younger millennials, are value-driven and “care about where their food comes from and how it’s produced.”

Kim Chackal, vice president of sales and marketing and co-owner of Equifruit, agrees with this perspective, noting that consumers are increasingly voting with their dollars by buying organic.

“Even if the price differential between conventional and organics is marginal, [consumers are] still choosing that product more and more and more,” she says. That leads the company to ask if consumers are just interest in organic or if they are also concerned with better farming practices, Chackal says. Equifruit has assumed “yes,” importing only Fairtrade Certified bananas into Canada and a few outlets in New York.

Both the company and fair trade bananas have seen impressive growth in Canada. According to Fairtrade Canada , Fairtrade Certified bananas have seen 524% growth between 2019 and 2024. Equifruit has similarly seen impressive growth lately. It was again named one of Canada’s top growing companies by The Globe and Mail with a growth rate of 195% in 2025.

Fair trade bananas have not had quite the same success in the U.S. but are still a growing category, according to both Goldfield and Rodriguez. Both Dole and Fyffes offer fair trade bananas.

“Fairtrade is still developing in the U.S. and compared to Europe, we still have a long way to go,” says Rodriguez, adding that it is an opportunity to further educate consumers on sustainability. That conversation is the way of the marketing future too, she says.

“In the future, banana marketing will be about connection and transparency,” Rodriguez adds. “TR4 keeps reminding us how important it is to tell the story behind every banana on the table, the care, dedication and sustainability efforts that go into growing it.”

This can help recapture some of that lost excitement or emotional connection, she adds, especially if paired with effective and eye-catching merchandising such as secondary displays placed in high-traffic areas or near complementary categories.

“Being the No. 1 favorite fruit also challenges us to communicate our sustainability efforts in a more engaging way,” Rodriguez says.

“By sharing our sustainability journey and the steps we’re taking to secure the future of bananas, we can strengthen trust and the emotional connection with shoppers while continuing to deliver the fruit they love,” she adds.

Newly Launched Banana Organization Seeks to Reenergize Category

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:33:00 GMT

While the beginnings of the Banana Association of North America (BANA) started about a year ago behind the scenes, the organization chose to come forward following a meeting at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show, says Tom Stenzel, principal of The Stenzel Group. Stenzel will lead the daily operations of the organization, which is governed by a board of directors that includes executives of Chiquita, Dole Food Company, Fresh Del Monte and Fyffes North America.

Stenzel says in that year, the organization worked behind the scenes on tariffs and other issues impacting the banana industry. And while BANA is new, banana organizations are not new. The International Banana Organization ended around 2008, but he says in recent years, banana companies have started to communicate with Stenzel about relaunching an effort.

“You’ve got four major competitors there,” he says. “They’re not really used to working together, so that’s been part of the process of helping them understand they’re still strong competitors in the market for sales. But there are things we can do together that will help the whole banana industry.”

And that’s one of the goals that BANA has in mind, Stenzel says, noting that while bananas might lead fruit sales and have huge household penetration, because bananas are a staple in produce departments, there might be less buzz around the fruit.

“Everybody knows bananas, but it’s kind of just become a staple, so it maybe doesn’t draw as much pizzazz and excitement as some newer fruits or competitive products,” he says. “So that’s another goal, is to kind of revitalize that, particularly with younger people who get excited about new products. So how do you create new excitement about a category that’s already this established?”

Stenzel says BANA wants to be more vocal about the nutrition benefits of bananas as well as its portability and affordability with consumers who both seek out value but also new flavor experiences.

“It’s probably the most affordable fruit — look at the price points for bananas,” he says. “It’s got those same eating qualities. It’s got good nutrition, it’s got portability. It was sort of the original convenience fruit, if you will, before we started cutting other products up. So, it’s got a lot of those attributes. It’s an energy boost. I’m not sure that we’ve communicated that as well, particularly to the younger generation.”

One thing Stenzel wants to point out is that while BANA wants to engage consumers, the members don’t see bananas going head-to-head with other commodities. Stenzel says the team sees great opportunities for consumers seeking out similar benefits in different products.

“You look at energy drinks and energy bars, why not have a natural, fresh banana instead of a processed candy bar for energy,” he says. “I would say to the trade: Don’t be worried that the bananas are going to try to come compete with you. We’re just trying to find the sweet spot where we reengage those consumers who probably haven’t been having as many bananas as you and I.”

Another thing Stenzel wants to communicate is the critical role retailers will play in the future of BANA’s efforts, especially in highlighting bananas.

“We want to make sure that the retailers understand that there is greater potential in bananas than maybe they are used to,” he says. “How do we reengage the retailer also as a partner in reaching those new consumers, whether it’s in displays or promotions or any of those types of activities?”

Stenzel says, much like BANA’s goals with consumers, the organization seeks to transform the conversation and reenergize the category.

“Let’s put some energy back in the banana category and see what we can do to make it grow,” he says.

Using ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ in the Banana Price War

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 23:11:54 GMT

“There is a banana price war at the retail level that is keeping banana prices artificially low,” says Kim Chackal, co-owner and vice president of sales and marketing for Equifruit.

While U.S. consumers — who rarely pay more than 65 cents per pound and don’t see significant seasonal price shifts expected in other fruit — could be called the winners of this “price war” so far, Equifruit says it has had “disastrous consequences downstream in the supply chain,” specifically for banana farmers, but the company is trying to turn the tide.

Equifruit has made it its mission to both champion banana farmers and make consumers feel good about paying a little more for their favorite fruit. And it’s using unconventional, even “guerrilla,” marketing tactics and the message of fair trade to do so.

“Our mission is global fair-trade banana domination,” Chackal says. “That’s the vision that we have for our brand.”

Usual Strategy vs. Equifruit’s Mission

“The merchandising strategy has typically been to drive margin in other categories, but sacrifice the banana price, which puts a lot of downward pressure at the beginning of the supply chain,” Chackal explains. This presents a challenge to Equifruit, which has dedicated itself to selling more bananas for more.

Equifruit sells only Fairtrade Certified bananas — mostly organic but also conventional. Being Fairtrade Certified means more money gets back to the farmers who grow the produce, in this case, bananas. This includes an additional $1 per 40-pound case, which goes back to the farmers who democratically decide what to do with the funds to benefit their communities and environments.

“That means that the Equifruit bananas will be slightly at a higher price point, both for retailers and the end consumer. It’s negligible, but it’s still different than what the rest of the industry is doing,” Chackal says. She quantifies the difference as about an additional $5 over the course of a year, what she describes as “one less latte per year.”

Equifruit sources bananas from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. According to its website, the additional funds that go to farmers through the Fairtrade process have been put toward biodiversity efforts, soil health initiatives, improving housing and water infrastructure in workers’ communities, optimized water efficiency efforts in banana growing and more in those communities.

Chackal says the company’s focus on improving the lives and communities of banana farmers and workers is what sets it apart.

“We call ourselves and our community banana badasses, because we think that it’s pretty badass to go against the grain and be the underdog in the industry,” she says.

“No matter what’s going on globally, like inflation or recession, there’s always a reason to keep bananas cheap,” Chackal adds. “But because we really want to ensure the dignity of the farmers and producers we work with, we are going to just stick with that fair trade pricing and use our voice and the advocacy that we do to draw awareness to this real problem in the industry.”

Making Marketing Magic

The way Equifruit uses its voice is different from other fruit importers. From comparing the added cost of fair-trade bananas to the cost of a single sock , to riffing on “Shark Week,” to directly telling consumers theirs is the only banana worth buying, the company looks to get consumer attention and be a fun follow on socials.

“We very much operate like a guerrilla marketing campaign,” Chackal says.

While Equifruit uses its packaging as a vehicle for its messages, it also focuses heavily on social media, including Instagram and Tik Tok for consumers. There, the company’s marketing strategy is two-pronged. On the more lighthearted side, the company tries to stay at the forefront of online culture by transforming pop culture moments into conversations about paying banana farmers fairly.

“So, for example, if there’s a new meme that’s going viral or there’s a new show that everybody’s talking about, we’ll take that pop culture moment and use that as an opportunity to talk about how farmers are underpaid and through fair trade, and we can contribute to the solution,” Chackal says.

The company has found that to be an effective technique at getting attention, she adds.

The other prong of the strategy is what Chackal calls more directly advocacy-oriented “Truth Bombs.”

“We’re not ever trying to speak ill about the competition, but we are trying to make people aware of the problem that we’re solving,” she says. When they do that, she continues, “We find that it endears us to them a little bit more, because they feel like they better understand what the ‘banana badass’ term really means.”

Both prongs of the marketing strategy result in consumers who are not only willing to spend more on their bananas but feel good about doing so, Chackal says.

“The affordability, I find, helps people get excited to share [our messages] with their friends and families and neighbors because we all want to contribute to a more sustainable world,” she says. “Some options are perhaps a little bit more cost prohibitive, but Equifruit’s Fairtrade bananas don’t fall in that category.”

Cedro Banana Distributors Marks a Century of Business

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:57:43 GMT

New Haven, Conn.-based Cedro Banana Distributors is celebrating its 100^th anniversary, says Billy Mascari, who handles purchasing, sourcing, wholesale sales and business development for the fifth-generation, family-owned firm.

In addition to its extensive history in the business, the company continues to grow with the addition of 5,000 square feet of cooling space for its full line of tropical items.

“We picked up some more chain business,” Mascari says.

The firm recently picked up more business for its ripening program as well as tropical sales, he explains.

The company’s product line includes bananas, green and yellow plantains, mangoes, avocados, limes, and root items such as malanga, yuca and yams as well as potatoes and onions.

“We basically do it all,” Mascari says.

Though banana shipments were pretty steady as of early October, he says, the same couldn’t be said of plantains.

“Plantains are scarce from Ecuador,
so the plantain market is very high,” Mascari explains.

Besides tight supplies, costs have risen because of increased tariffs, he says.

A 15% tariff is now levied on product from Ecuador and Costa Rica; that’s up from 10%.

The price increase comes as demand picks up as weather cools and families begin to cook more and anticipate the holidays, he says.

Conditions are similar in Guatemala.

“It makes a strong market, but there’s limited supply,” Mascari says. “You don’t get to sell as much volume as you would like to, but the prices have increased.”

Some challenges exist in the banana market as well.

“Quality has been a little bit of an issue,” he says.

Some diseases, such as sigatoka, have hit some of the plantations in Ecuador.

Fyffes Receives Ethical Sustainability Excellence Award

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:38:01 GMT

Fyffes announced Oct. 3 that it had been recognized for its environmental sustainability efforts at the recent FPC Fresh Awards gala ceremony held in London. The company earned the Ethical Sustainability Excellence 2025 award.

“The organization sets a shining example of how multinational businesses can engage collective efforts to grow produce responsibly, and enrich people’s lives for a fairer, resilient future,” the adjudicators said.

One of the measures cited by the award’s judging panel were the “significant strides made with water management, sustainable packaging and greenhouse gas emissions,” as well as wider practices that include “dedicated human rights impact assessments, gender equality programs and concentrated efforts to repurpose surplus food and reduce food waste.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the Fyffes was John Hopkins, managing director of Fyffes UK. He thanked adjudicators for their recognition, adding: “We are proud to see the measures we have implemented towards environmental sustainability acknowledged. Sustainability is at the heart of Fyffes and our relationship with farmers, local communities, customers and consumers. The threat of climate change is not going away. Our aim is to always be at the forefront of sustainability innovation and action to protect people and planet.”

Equifruit Climbs Canada’s Top Growing Companies List, Posts 195% Growth

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:58:49 GMT

Equifruit, the Montreal-based Fairtrade International-certified banana company, has been named one of Canada’s top growing companies by The Globe and Mail for a fourth consecutive year. Ranked No. 174 with a growth rate of 195%, this is the company’s highest position on the list yet, up from No. 229 in 2024.

“We’re so proud to be included again on this year’s list,” says Jennie Coleman, president and co-owner of Equifruit. “For us, growth is not just about numbers, it’s about impact for banana farmers. Every Equifruit Fairtrade banana sold means fairer wages and better conditions for banana growers. That drives us to keep growing across North America.”

Demand for Fair Trade Bananas on the Rise
A certified B Corp and women-owned business, Equifruit says its sustained growth speaks to consumer demand for fair-trade bananas in North America. In the past five years in Canada, organic, fair-trade certified banana volumes have grown by 521% and one in three organic bananas are now fair trade, supported by major retailers switching their organic banana program to fair trade, according to a news release. Equifruit says this growth creates positive impact for banana farmers.

This latest milestone comes on the heels of Equifruit’s other achievements this year, including becoming a certified Fairtrade workplace and achieving a place in ECIP’s Leadership Circle , which recognizes produce suppliers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving labor practices.

Equifruit Goes Bananas for Fairtrade Month
Equifruit says it is now gearing up for Fairtrade Month, a global celebration where retailers and brands spotlight what it means to “buy better” this October. Equifruit says it will position the Equifruit Fairtrade banana as a fruit that fuels the body and pays banana farmers fairly.

The Equifruit team also plans to attend the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show, Oct. 16-18, in Anaheim, Calif. Meet the team at booth No. 3568 and “prepare to go bananas.”

Your next read:
Why the U.S. is ‘On the Brink of a Fair Trade Breakthrough’

Boston Summer Business Builds Momentum

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:19:27 GMT

Produce business seems to be bouncing back in the Boston area this summer following a challenging winter/spring period, and distributors are hopeful the upward trend will continue into fall.

Peter Condakes Co.

“It was a very quiet winter and spring,” says Peter John Condakes, president of Peter Condakes Co. Inc. at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, Mass.

The region underwent three straight months of below-normal temperatures, he says, and other major U.S. population centers endured chilly weather as well, which limited consumers from venturing out.

At the same time, weather in growing areas like Florida and Mexico was perfect, he says, resulting in bountiful supplies of many fresh produce items.

“There was an abundance of product and a dearth of demand,” Condakes says.

Since up to 70% of the company’s business is foodservice, sales were impacted when residents decided not to visit their favorite restaurants. The slowdown lasted into May, but business started growing again in June and was back to normal by August.

Top-selling summer items at Peter Condakes Co. include several kinds of squashes, peppers, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens. It offers products from local growers in summer, especially row crops, along with a few local tomatoes, Condakes says.

Community-Suffolk

Steven Piazza, president of Chelsea-based Community-Suffolk Inc., says area business has continued to improve after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We really had a shaking out in the New England area,” he says. “Since then, we’ve bounced back, and everybody in the industry seems to be flourishing and doing well.”

Summer items at Community-Suffolk include a wide selection of local vegetables from Canada, such as broccoli, celery, carrots and potatoes.

“The Canadian product is just starting to come into its own,” Piazza said in early August. “People are looking for [vegetables] that are closer to home and fresh.”

The company handles about 40 items.

“We tend to concentrate on what we do best and try to maintain our volume, quality and value on those items,” Piazza says.

So far, quality seems to be very nice this season, he says, despite a heat spell in late July.

“I think they’re going to grow through that and maintain good quality until the fall,” Piazza adds.

J. Bonafede & Sons

Business at J. Bonafede & Sons at the New England Produce Center has been similar to last year, but Eugene Fabio, president, says he’d like more foot traffic.

“Ever since COVID, foot traffic has gone down,” Fabio says.

The company sells mostly tropical fruits and vegetables. Sales of mangoes, cactus pears and limes are active, he says, while banana movement is steady. Other good sellers include avocados and Canadian tomatoes.

J. Bonafede & Sons also offers organic bananas and sometimes has some organic pineapples and limes on hand.

Smaller stores tend to blossom in the spring and summer in the Boston area, Fabio says, and the number of ethnic stores, especially Southeast Asian markets, continues to increase.

J. Bonafede & Sons typically stocks about 40 items.

The company also does a fair amount of foodservice business, but it often reaches foodservice customers, such as schools and airports, through wholesalers, Fabio says.

Upgrades

Some companies at the New England Produce Center have made improvements to better serve their customers.

Peter Condakes Co. Inc. has relaunched its website, Condakes says.

“That was a long time coming,” he says.

The revamped site, petercondakes.com , offers a comprehensive listing of all the fruits, vegetables, tomatoes and tropical items the company offers and provides background on the firm, which traces its roots back to 1900.

J. Bonafede & Sons is in the middle of some cosmetic and functional renovation Fabio says.

That includes replacing the electric refrigeration units in some of the company’s trailers, replacing some trailers, rebuilding several banana rooms, installing new lighting and replacing refrigeration in the cooler.

“We’re putting some money into the [facility] to make it work better, look better and buff up the appearance a little bit,” he says.

The company also was concluding a third-party food safety audit in early August, and it has hired Fabio’s son, Alex, to take on a number of responsibilities, including personnel and overseeing buying.

Alex Fabio has a wide range of experience working in and operating a number of businesses, his father says, adding: “We’re hoping some of his
experience will help us focus our business and to grow it.”