Nowadays we was take bananas for granted, but a hundred years ago few Europeans had seen a banana, let alone tasted one. They are a favourite in packed lunches and a healthy snack, which contains just 90 calories. Yet how many of us are aware of what's involved in producing and transporting this delicate fruit? Bananas originated in south-east Asia; later on, roots were transported to Africa by Arab traders.(Bananas come from the Arabic word for finger.) In the sixteenth century missionaries introduced it to the Caribbean. Bananas can only grow in tropical climates fifteen degrees north and south of the Equator, giving comparative advantage. It took big companies, like Chiquita, to bring bananas to a wider public.
A plant weighing forty-five kilograms produces around 120 pieces of fruit. Freshly cut bunches of green bananas travel to the packing station by overhead cable, where they are washed in cold water and packed in cartons. They are loaded on pallets and the cargo is placed in the holds of refrigerated ships at 13.6 degrees which puts them 'to sleep'. It can take several days to reach this ideal temperature.
At their destination they are transported to ripening room where a little ethylene gas brings them to market condition customers prefer bananas with green tips and necks. Container trucks take them to retail outlets.