Page 120 - Ecuador's Banana Sector under Climate Change

ecuador’s banana sector under climate change: an economic and biophysical assessment to promote a sustainable and climate-compatible strategy
Since the banana plant requires a significant supply of water, irrigation systems are necessary, either by pumping the water from nearby rivers or by gravity systems. Drainage systems are also used to eliminate excess water in order
to provide adequate aeration to the root zone. Bananas require high levels of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) and, therefore, fertilization is applied according to a programme of recommended quantities and applications.
To prevent and control pests and diseases, aerial spraying and land methods are used. The type of substance and the rate of application will vary, depending on the severity of the disease or type of pest. Agricultural oil and water - and sometimes an emulsifying agent - are used to dilute the compounds to control the pests and diseases.
Subsequent to harvesting, the bananas are covered with plastic to protect the fruit from insects and to guarantee the ripening process. These can be in the form of bags, (e.g. “daipas”, or bow ties, nun’s necks). Once the fruit is harvested, it
is manually carried to the processing area on the shoulders of the workers or by cable (Figure 34).
The banana hands are then taken off the stem and put into rinsing tanks for washing. The hands are divided into clusters and placed into another tank, where the latex (released by the bananas) is removed. The clusters then are weighed (Figure 35) and the crowns are sealed, in order to prevent rotting prior to being packed in cardboard boxes (18.14 kilos (kg), the standard capacity for the European market) and loaded onto trucks (Figure 36). The boxes are transported to a collection centre or to the port in refrigerated containers (Section 2.1.2.).
For the purpose of this analysis, 17 plantations (Figure 37) were selected, according to the criteria relating to size and production system (organic and conventional), for which six typologies will be discussed: (i) small organic;
(ii) medium organic; (iii) large organic; (iv) small conventional; (v) medium conventional; and (vi) large conventional. Table 25 summarizes their data by typology.
Figure 34
Banana bunches arrive at the packaging area by cable
Each of these farms was visited. Interviews were held with the farmer or plantation owner, following the completion of a specifically designed questionnaire.
As opposed to other studies (e.g. Svanes, 2012), where every ten years, an area for banana growing is placed under a six-month fallow period once the plants are removed and the infrastructure has been dismantled, Ecuador’s plantations are used permanently for growing in the same area. As a result, the
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