Chiquita Goes Green

I'm not talking about green bananas. You never know where interesting and relevant information will appear. In this months Business 2.0, they featured Chiquita new green policies. One of their managers responsible for farms in Costa Rica started quietly working with environmental groups in the early 90s. The results were not only better for the environment but also the banana business' bottomline.

They has subsequently reduced the amount of fertilizers and pesticides by 26% and apply more environmental friendly chemicals. They build buffer zones around the farms to help control erosion and the run off that effects the water quality both in surface and ground water. They recycle plastics and twine used on the farms. They've also improved the living conditions and built schools for the workers.

I hope more commercial based farming follows their example as I'll be looking for Chiquita brands products in the stores.