This is EARTH’s banana plantation, it measures just over 800 acres and is divided into blocks surrounded by forest to guarantee a biodiverse environment.
The banana plant is a perennial herb that is propagated through tissue culture as the fruit does not produce viable seeds. This photo shows a “child” of the banana plant.
The formation of the banana starts with a flower, which eventually grows into a bunch of bananas that are ready to harvest after approximately three months.
These tiny unripe bananas have lots of growing to do before they are harvested.
The fruits are hauled to the packing plant via a cable transport system known on campus as “the banana train”.
They are harvested by pairs of workers; one person holds the large bunch of bananas while the other cuts it from the tree.
When the bananas have grown to a certain size they are covered with a perforated blue bag to protect them from ultraviolet radiation that can cause burns on the peel.
Hundreds of bananas waiting to be processed at the packing plant.
The bananas are removed from their protective bags.
The fruits are washed to remove stray leaves and other debris and are cut into smaller bunches.
The groups are extracted in “manos” or smaller bunches.
Employees select the best bananas and discard those that are deformed or damaged.
Pressurized water moves the bananas to the weighing area and the second round of selection.
The bananas are carefully packed and prepared to be transported to national and international markets.
Boxes are selected and checked at random for quality control purposes.
EARTH’s banana packing plant is constantly in motion throughout the work day.
The boxes of fruit are set on pallets and loaded into trailers.
Finally, the bananas leave campus to begin their journey to all of our customers.
We hope you enjoyed seeing the everyday life of a sustainable banana operation.
