Report by Swiss advocacy group alleges worker mistreatment and sub-standard conditions on Rainforest Alliance-certified plantations
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Swiss group Public Eye says it has uncovered evidence of labour force exploitation, rights violations, and sub-standard working conditions at Rainforest Alliance-certified banana plantations in Guatemala run by multinational Chiquita and other companies on its behalf.
In a report published on the NGO’s website, the NGO said it had visited several production sites across the country and found “clear exploitation of banana workers, violations of fundamental rights, and working conditions that breach international standards”.
In particular, it said banana plantations of Chiquita’s suppliers in southern Guatemala were characterised by “highly exploitative and hazardous” working conditions.
It also called for the payment of legal minimum wages, protection from pesticide-spraying aircraft, and guaranteed freedom of association.
“Everywhere, we heard the same accounts: extreme fatigue, inadequate pay, unprotected exposure to chemicals, restrictions on the freedom of association,” it stated.
“Each one of the plantations we visited in the south – where we observed the worst conditions – are nonetheless certified by the Rainforest Alliance, a US-based NGO whose label is meant to attest not only to the protection of biodiversity but also to workers’ rights and safety.”
Responding to the report’s publication, a spokesperson for Rainforest Alliance referred Fruitnet to the previous statements it made in communication with Public Eye, which include a denial that a pesticide called mancozeb is permitted for use under the group’s certification requirements.
When approached, Chiquita declined to comment on the report’s findings.
