LET’S REVEAL THE HIDDEN COSTS BEHIND BANANAS #BehindThePeel
YOUR GUIDE TO EDUCATING CANADIANS AND SHOWING CONSUMER DEMAND FOR FAIRTRADE BANANAS
Table of ContentS
Why Bananas?.......................................................4 WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.........................7 WHY IT MATTERS.....................................................8
We need your help Fairtrade campaigners, volunteers, and advocates.
HOW FAIRTRADE HELPS........................................10
If you care about these issues, now is the time to ACT. Are you in?
HOW YOU CAN HELP...............................................12
If you want to schedule a campaign briefing session, just contact us.
THE GREAT BANANA STUNT...................................16 Campaign Resources ........................................18
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Why Bananas? One of the brightest fruits in Canada harbours a dark secret
They’re one of the most popular fruits in the world, and there’s a high probability you’ve got a bunch on your kitchen counter right now. Bananas may be the most familiar fruit on grocery store shelves, but behind that bright exterior, there are steep hidden costs that take a heavy toll on people and planet.
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Canada is woefully behind in retailing bananas traded under fair terms. Where other countries see major retailers committing to 100% Fairtrade banana sourcing, in Canada, Fairtrade bananas are only available in IGA and Sobeys stores in QC, Farm Boy and Longo’s Markets in ON, Choices Markets and a number of smaller retailers in BC.
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What we’re saying LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT’S
Behind the 6
peel
#BehindThePeel
WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE Raise Awareness
Show Demand
We want to arm Canadian consumers with the facts about conventional bananas so they can make choices that align with their values.
We want to show retailers that Canadians are willing to pay more for bananas that respect both people and planet and invite them to lead the way for fair fruit in Canada.
Fair Wages for Banana Workers
Safe Working Conditions for Banana Workers
The banana industry is labour-intensive and demanding and we believe that banana workers deserve fair pay for the work that they do.
We believe that cheap fruit should not come at the expense of the health and safety of communities in the Global South.
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WHY IT MATTERS Millions of people worldwide depend on the production, processing, and sale of produce for their livelihoods, incomes, and for food security. This includes many small farmers in the Global South. In Canada, bananas comprised 9% of the $6.58 billion in imported fresh fruit in 2017, making it by far one of the most consumed fruits across the country. Bananas are actually the world’s most exported fresh fruit. But a highly competitive market creates price pressure on bananas, ultimately putting the squeeze on banana growers. Large multinationals wield considerable influence and retailers often offer deep discounts on bananas, sometimes selling below cost to attract customers. Together, these factors put banana producers at a disadvantage.
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Here are some of the top challenges in banana production: DAMAGING PRODUCTION PRACTICES Harsh production methods to control irrigation and plant diseases.
POLLUTION Negative impacts on soil water, air, animals, humans and biodiversity.
COST OF PRODUCTION Rising production costs and competition among international traders, which exerts downwards pressure on market prices and therefore farmers’ wages.
UNDERSTANDING HIDDEN COSTS Hidden costs, also called external costs, are costs not included in the price you pay for a product. But even though external costs are not included in the price of a product they still have to be paid by someone. The burden of external costs usually fall on producers, workers, and their communities. You can read more about hidden costs at: beyondthepeel.com/hiddencost
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HOW FAIRTRADE HELPS The banana trade is a cornerstone of many countries’ economies, but the social problems in the industry are many and complex. Reports about problems in the banana industry often highlight the woefully poor situation of workers: low wages, precarious employment, restrictions on the right to organize themselves, and the handling of unhealthy and environmentally hazardous chemicals without adequate protection, to name a few. Fairtrade works to support both banana farmers and workers. Our mission is to empower banana farmers and workers, and consumers who buy Fairtrade bananas play a key part – the higher the sales of Fairtrade bananas in Canada, the more the benefits for producers accrue.
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Bananas carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark have been produced by small farmer organizations or plantations that meet Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards.
Fairtrade - a holistic approach Stronger and inclusive businesses Fairtrade promotes democracy, strong leadership and relationship-building with different markets, meaning that businesses become a more important part of the supply chain.
Protecting the environment The Fairtrade Standards define environmental standards and promote training for farmers to encourage environmentally sustainable production.
Improving productivity and quality Farmers and workers can earn more from what they produce through technical support and investment in better farming practices.
Raising living standards Fairtrade farmers and workers are less vulnerable to price volatility, meaning reduced risk and improved income and food security.
Making life better for communities The Fairtrade Premium is often used to fund education and healthcare projects, access to water, road building, and other investments in communities.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP Whether you only have time for a quick tweet or email, or you want to organize a campaign stunt in solidarity with banana workers, we are making TAKING ACTION easy. Here are a few ways you can get involved and help inspire your local community to advocate for banana workers of the Global South.
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MISSION ACTIVATION: SHOW DEMAND LET CANADIAN RETAILERS KNOW THERE IS A DEMAND FOR FAIRTRADE BANANAS
TWEET AT YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER Using the campaign website behindthepeel.com, you can let your favorite retailer know that you want Fairtrade bananas.
EMAIL YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER Want to take it a step further? Use the campaign website to also send an email to your local retailer letting them know you want them to stock Fairtrade bananas.
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MISSION ACTIVATION: RAISE AWARENESS WANT TO DO MORE? GO BANANAS! Show solidarity with banana farmers and help us raise awareness about trade justice with local grassroots activations. Feeling particularly passionate? Try out the campaign street stunt! Read more about the banana stunt on page 16.
POSTER UP YOUR TOWN Pique people’s curiosity with our series of eye-catching campaign posters. With the campaign website accessible via link or QR code, send people directly to the TAKE ACTION page and spread more awareness for the campaign.
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Order your posters HERE.
GET ACTIVE AND STAY ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN
Fairtrade BANANA BAKE-OFF ANYONE?
Join our mailing list, follow us on social media, and like, comment and share our banana content. The more people we can reach the better!
Hold a Fairtrade banana baking competition or bake sale to gain more allies for Fairtrade bananas.
Sign up for campaign updates HERE.
Check out our recipe page HERE for some ideas or order some of our banana recipe cards HERE.
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THE GREAT BANANA STUNT With the support of creative agency Rethink Canada, we are activating a small-scale stunt to create awareness about Fairtrade and the hidden costs in the banana sector. What’s even more exciting is that we want to make this stunt available to you!
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THE CONCEPT Using stamps or stickers, you can “bruise” bananas with facts about the true cost of banana production and the hidden social and environmental costs that are downloaded to producers, workers, and their communities.
WHERE TO ACTIVATE On the streets, on campus, in your school, at your workplace. This stunt is meant to be a community stunt and we ask you not stamp bananas in retail locations without explicit permission of the retailer.
HOW TO ACTIVATE THE CAMPAIGN Reserve a set of stamps to bruise your bananas and then pass them on to the next Fairtrade campaigner group! You can request your stamps set by emailing us. You can also order a series of stickers with these banana facts to stick on your bananas. Order your stickers here.
WHAT KIND OF BANANAS TO USE We encourage you to use Fairtrade bananas, of course! But let people know they are Fairtrade bananas. It’s a great way to start a conversation about alternatives to conventional bananas.
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CAMPAIGN RESOURCES Physical Resources
Order Behind the Peel materials and resources on our online store. Here’s what you will find: • Campaign posters • Campaign pins • Campaign stickers • Fairtrade banana t-shirt • Fairtrade banana tote bag • Fairtrade banana facts • Fairtrade banana recipe cards
Digital Resources
The Banana Campaigner’s Toolkit has resources you can use to spread the word! You can access the kit here: bit.ly/BehindthePeel • • • • •
Use these images to share impact stories of Fairtrade banana workers Post these videos to build awareness about bananas and Fairtrade Give voice to banana workers with this series of quotes and stories Share these facts and figures about bananas and Fairtrade Read the latest research about hidden costs and the banana sector
Stunt Resources 18
To reserve your Behind the Peel banana stunt stamps or a set of stickers, please contact us.
CAMPAIGN TIMING Campaign Launch September 23rd
Rethink Stunt October 16th
Fair Trade Campus Week
October 28th-November 1st
Campaign Wind-down November 29th
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#BehindThePeel