Changing trade rules are pitting Caribbean family farms against the might of multinational plantations, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of farmers

"There's no way these islands can compete with the US. If this industry goes down any more, then what? Should we be able to feed ourselves or must others feed us?"
- Arthur Bobb, Programme Officer of the Windward Islands Farmers' Assocation (WINFA)

Windward Islands bananas make up less than two per cent of the world export market, which is dominated by multinational companies in Latin America. But that hasn't stopped the multinationals from pushing for an end to the Windward Islands' trade agreement with Europe, which had protected them from competition.

For many years the people of the Windward Islands were able to make a modest but secure living from growing bananas -exporting most of them to the UK. Over time, the islands' economies became completely dependent on bananas, and the UK market.

But since the early 1990s, Europe - in response to a successful World Trade Organisation challenge by the USA and multinationals - has changed the Windward Islands' preferential trade relationship, pitting Caribbean farmers against the might of the multinationals. The small family plots tended by the Windward Island farmers are a far cry from the vast, highly-mechanised plantations in Latin America.

As Windward Islands farmers struggle to deal with the competition with Latin America - on top of falling banana prices and heavy increases in the production costs - the future of their industry looks bleak. More and more farmers are being forced to consider other employment, and there isn't much of that around. As people have fallen into deeper poverty, social problems and violence in the islands has increased.

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Caribbean banana farmers - playing fair >