Biodiversity-friendly production of bananas and pineapples

Agriculture endangers biodiversity – according to the FAO, 70% of biodiversity loss can be attributed to agriculture. In developing countries, as many as 72% of species are endangered by agriculture. In particular, agricultural crops that grow in monocultures, such as bananas and pineapples, endanger ecosystems and the habitats of animals and plants. These two fruits are popular worldwide: Belgium, the United Kingdom and Germany in particular are the EU’s most important importing countries with 698,000 tons (as of 2015). Costa Rica (940,000) and the Dominican Republic (330,000 tons) are among the largest exporters of these two fruits to the EU. In order to preserve biodiversity without jeopardizing one of these countries’ most important sources of income, we are committed to protecting biodiversity along the value chain, thereby combining efficient agriculture and nature conservation. We also carry out training programs and monitoring and raise awareness of this issue in the food sector and among end consumers.