Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Trending News

Promoted
Mr Ed
Lv 7
Mr Ed asked in Society & CultureReligion & Spirituality · 1 decade ago

Do you think it would be effective if we boycotted bananas?

Banana plantation workers are paid about $5 per day. Several times a day, the plantations are sprayed with pesticides while the workers are present. That means cancer, and in the case of pregnant women, it often means babies born with deformities.

How can we act to put a stop to this horror?

Bananas are my favourite food (not referring to my present avatar) - but I don't think I can eat another banana unless it is fair trade.

Update:

By the way, If you're wondering what this question is doing in R&S, I think the question is about as religious as you can get.

Update 2:

If we boycotted the bigwigs would realize they to change their ways. Look at MacDonalds with their styrofoam containers - a boycott didn't hurt the MacDonald's workers - it hurt MacDonalds, and they changed.

Also, buying fair trade bananas would help increase the number of Latin American workers who are getting decent treatment and pay, ansd who aren't being poisoned.

I met the children of one worker who had to abandon to an institution them because he couldn't feed them. When they first entered the Home (luckily for them it wasn't so much iInstitution) they were half-starved.

Update 3:

I'm really amazed at the amount of caring activism I'm finding here. (sarcasm intended)

Update 4:

Smooth Kitty, Unfortunately the UN is a bit of a farce, - many will die before they act. And the guilty don't pay much attention to them.

The banana companies are not Latin American, by the way. they are North American. If they went under the Latin Americans could probably produce their own companies.

I believe our governments should let them know (as well as the textile industries) that their products are not welcome here unless they can certify they are treating their workers properly.

Update 5:

It's worse than slavery. If you own a slave you at least take minimal care of him. If you rent one (the wauivalent of what's going on), then you use him/her until worn out, then throw him/her away and rent a new one.

Update 6:

Forgive and Share:

I'm afraid the USA is led by two pro-capitalist parties, not just one. So we have to find ways of making it the companies' best interest to treat their workers properly. While I am against the crude capitalism we have, I am even more interested in doing something for those workers than in overturning capitalism.

That's why I feel my question is more religious than political.

Update 7:

If while boycotting bananas from Chiquita, Dole and DelMonte, we all bought certified fair trade bananas only, I believe we would be helping a lot of Latin American workers to a better life, and a few less children would starve to death, and a few less babies would be born deformed. Of course that would cost us a little more, and so we would have to decide whether the almighty dollar runs our lives, or if compassion has a place for a bit of influence too.

As for killing the beast, Wilburforce managed to put an end to the slave trade in the British Empire without killing the beast. He just forced the beast.

Update 8:

You're right, nobody ended slavery. What Wilburforce ended was the slave trade on the sea in the British Empire. That in itself was a major. (Of a shipload of 600 slaves, less than 200 would make it alive; and once purchased they were branded, some were castrated, they were maimed so they couldn't run away ... but no, he didn't end slavery as such. So let's work on that, shall we?

12 Answers

Relevance
  • Forgive & Share
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    ...

    Mr. Ed

    Unfortunately, that is what capitalism is all about, and New York is it's headquarters. Americans eat more bananas than any other monkeys. Surely, you can relate.

    So don't boycott the bananas. The prices will drop even lower and the workers will have their pay cut. Instead boycott capitalism and Wall Street. Put an end to greed rather than perpetuate starvation. Put and end to the GOP, corrupt businesses and their lobbies that abuse our democracy and human rights, and enslave our humanity for the worship of power and money.

    Forgive and Share

    ...

    EDIT: You have a point. It is worse than slavery.

    ...

    EDIT: That is like saying you want to ignore the demon in who's belly are the workers, and figure out a way to rescue them without killing the beast.

    You are right about the two capitalist party system though.

    ...

    EDIT: I agree with the religious. Money is Power, and Power is God.

    ...

    EDIT: The analogy with McDonald's is not quite right. It was too easy for them to switch suppliers and use the change as a marketing gimmick. It is a change we can actually see, touch and feel. Even if there were laws and inspectors on the plantations, Wall Street knows how to corrupt them and fight the courts. The great demon of American capitalism prevails.

    ...

    EDIT: My friend, nobody ended slavery. What changed was the way slaves were treated. The laws spelled out new rules by which to treat them. The beast then as now was capitalism, not the British nation. Capitalism has evolved since then, as has slavery. As you yourself point out, today they are treated worse than slaves, but they are called workers.

    ...

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    It could

    But look at it realistically

    If we stop buying it, the price will inevitably, go down

    And the plantation workers will get paid even less then now

    And work under exactly same conditions

    I think, UN should get involved with it and issue a laws, prohibiting this. or provide the workers with an adequate protection

    If not, the owners should be heavily penalized, until they get it right

  • Wondering
    1 decade ago

    As long as there were the Fair Trade bananas available. Because if I didn't get my bananas, I'm afraid I'd go bananas!

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    If we stop buying bananas, won't most of those same workers be making $0 per day?

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Boycotts usually hurt the ones who the intention is to help.

  • Rick M
    1 decade ago

    I think it could help. Especially if we buy fair trade bananas as you suggest.

  • ?
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    If we boycott it would hurt the farmers not the big wigs. It's counter productive.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    i don't eat bananas (apart from banofee pie), but now i have a very good reason not to, i'll still eat the pie tho it's great

  • J D
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    Your answer is, your question is in the wrong category.

    It would more likely be a Society/Culture.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    but ray comfort uses them as proof of god. so you want to boycott god?

  • Show more answers (2)
Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.