Where+The+Banana+Is+Grown+and+Harvested

Where Bananas Are Grown and Harvested
The Worlds Top Producing Nations of Bananas - 2005 (metric TONS)
 * India || 16.8 ||
 * Brazil || 6.7 ||
 * China || 6.4 ||
 * Ecuador || 5.9 ||
 * Philippines || 5.8 ||
 * Indonesia || 4.5 ||
 * Costa Rica || 2.2 ||
 * Mexico || 2.0 ||
 * Thailand || 2.0 ||
 * Colombia || 1.6 ||
 * Burundi || 1.6 ||
 * __**Total**__ || __**72.5**__ ||

Bananas and plantains constitute a major staple food crop for millions of people in developing countries. In most tropical countries, green (unripe) bananas used for cooking represent the main cultivars. Cooking bananas are very similar to potatoes in how they are used. Both can be fried, boiled, baked, or chipped and have similar taste and texture when served. One green cooking banana has about the same calorie content as one potato.

In 2003, India led the world in banana production, representing approximately 23% of the worldwide crop, most of which was for domestic consumption. The four leading banana exporting countries were Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Philippines, and Colombia, which together accounted for about two-thirds of the world's exports, each exporting more than 1 million tons. Ecuador alone provided more than 30% of global banana exports, according to FAO statistics. The vast majority of producers are small-scale farmers growing the crop either for home consumption or for local markets. Because bananas and plantains will produce fruit year-round, they provide an extremely valuable source of food during the hunger season (that period of time when all the food from the previous harvest has been consumed, and the next harvest is still some time away). It is for these reasons that bananas and plantains are of major importance to food security.

Bananas are among the most widely consumed foods in the world. Most banana farmers receive a low unit price for their produce as supermarkets buy enormous quantities and receive a discount for that business. Competition amongst supermarkets has led to reduced margins in recent years which in turn has led to lower prices for growers. Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole, and Fyffes grow their own bananas in Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Banana plantations are capital intensive and demand high expertise, so the majority of independent growers are large and wealthy landowners of these countries. This has led to bananas being available as a "fair trade" or Rainforest Alliance certified item in some countries.

(The Information used for this webpage is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana)