Big Four unite to ‘re-energise’ North American banana category

The North American banana business has entered a new era. Chiquita, Dole, Fresh Del Monte and Fyffes – four companies that together dominate the region’s banana market –have joined forces to form the Banana Association of North America (Bana), a not-for-profit group created to strengthen the category, confront shared challenges and reshape how retailers and consumers value bananas.

The move marks the first time the major importers have established a dedicated organisation to speak with one voice about the future of the category. “Bananas have long been North America’s favourite fruit, but we can’t take that for granted,” says Bana executive director Tom Stenzel, former CEO of United Fresh and the International Fresh Produce Association. “This is about optimism, collaboration, and making sure bananas remain accessible for generations to come.”

According to Stenzel, the timing of Bana’s creation is no accident. The industry’s biggest players face many of the same issues – most of them escalating fast. “We’re seeing heavier, less frequent rainfall, more disease pressure, the spread of Black Sigatoka, higher costs and flat consumption,” he tells Fruitnet. “Each company has been tackling these issues alone. Now they’re asking, ‘What can we do together?’”

While the four giants compete fiercely at retail level, Bana is structured to work strictly on “pre-competitive” issues. “Legal oversight was built in from day one. Competition is essential – so is doing this right,” Stenzel stresses.

Much like other category associations such as the National Mango Board and the World Avocado Organisation, boosting consumption is a key part of Bana’s mandate. But Stenzel insists its role will be broader. “We want to tell the full story of the banana supply chain, from grower to retailer,” he says. “Bananas are of the most affordable fruits, yet one of the most difficult and costly to grow. If stakeholders really understood that, the whole category could benefit.”

That story includes a frank look at banana pricing. For years, bananas have been used as a “loss leader” by retailers – kept artificially cheap to draw shoppers into stores. Stenzel stops short of framing Bana as a lobbying group for higher prices, but he acknowledges the industry needs retailers to recognise the fruit’s value.

“Consumers think they pay more than they actually do,” he notes. “When tariffs temporarily pushed up US banana prices by 10 per cent, demand didn’t fall, it rose. That tells us shoppers value bananas far more than the price tag suggests.”

Better pricing, he argues, would allow for fairer returns along the chain – including for growers, who face rising production costs due to climate change and tightening regulation.

Stenzel says a top priority for 2026 will be reinvigorating consumer engagement – especially among younger shoppers. “Bananas have the history, the nostalgia, even iconic brands, but retailers typically carry just one brand, so consumers don’t choose by brand. They choose by category,” he says. That means Bana will focus on the overall image of bananas, including social-media-driven campaigns highlighting affordability, nutrition and natural energy.

Stenzel also sees opportunities to improve in-store merchandising. “We’re the original grab-and-go fruit,” he says. “Simple changes in-store can make a real difference.”

While Bana won’t directly push for regulatory reform, it will help coordinate industry responses to shared technical threats, from pesticide restrictions to disease control. Stenzel highlights work underway to protect fungicide MRLs in Europe and notes that gene-editing breakthroughs could pave the way for disease-resistant varieties in the near future.

The association expects to lay out its strategic plan early in 2026, including a marketing programme to re-energise the category. For Stenzel, the message is clear: “Bananas feed millions every day. It’s time we champion the category together, because the challenges are too big for any one company to face alone”, he says.