World Banana Forum kicks off in Italy with a focus on sustainability, equity
The United Nations’ World Banana Forum returns this week to Rome, headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization. The fourth edition of the event is expected to gather 400 banana industry stakeholders, representing growers, government agencies, importers and exporters, retailers, research institutions and trade unions. “Bananas are the most exported fresh fruit in the world by volume […]
Fruit Logistica: New ripening innovations from Interko help save on energy
Netherlands-based Interko, which designs, manufactures and installs state-of-the-art fresh fruit ripening rooms, announced that it has cut the energy consumption of its flagship Ultimo rooms by a further 20 per cent, after launching the second generation of its revolutionary Reverso reversible fans. Ultimo’s design and technology also has been adapted to enable the room to be used […]
Logistics troubles mount for banana shipments through Panama Canal, so will that impact UK?
An article published in the Journal of Commerce by analyst Richard Bright analyzes the impact of transit cuts and delays in the Panama Canal regarding Latin American perishable exports that must pass through the Canal to reach their destination. With delays on the Panama Canal already standing at 10 days for vessels that have not pre-booked a transit, there are […]
Cultivating Goodness: Insights from the 20th Banana Time convention in Ecuador
In the heart of banana cultivation, the 20th International Banana Time Convention in Guayaquil organized by the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE) showcased not just the bountiful harvests of Ecuador’s banana industry, but also the extraordinary commitment of its farmers to social responsibility and technological innovation. One of the defining features of this […]
Fyffes on track to meet targets of sustainability, ‘ethical performance’ by 2030
Fyffes published its second sustainability report, which highlights the company’s progress towards its 13 sustainability targets during 2021 and 2022. These targets have been set against a 2020 baseline year and are expected to be met by 2030. Fyffes targets align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and include six human rights targets; four targets […]
Chiquita’s new marketing pitch offers clever, appealing play on words
Chiquita is launching its new worldwide campaign, “It Peels So Good” to both showcase its leadership in the banana category and highlight its quality, taste, personality, and heritage. “It Peels So Good” tells the banana company’s story of a rich history and a bright future. With the alliteration of “peel” and “feel,” the campaign seeks an emotional […]
Return on hustle? Why wholesalers need to invest in both infrastructure and relationships
One of the distinctive characteristics of produce wholesalers that I have seen since joining Top Banana after leaving a Big Four accounting firm in 2020 is the different, yet collaborative, roles we play for shippers, retailers and customers alike. We act as agents to our shippers, partners to our retailers, and suppliers to all of […]
Does the Aldi banana price rise mean we are turning corner?
For the best part of two decades, German hard discount retailer Aldi, present in thirty countries worldwide, has more or less set the benchmark price for fresh bananas in the European market. On 1st December the long-awaited ‘white smoke’ on the 2022 contract price finally appeared to have gone up after particularly protracted and controversial negotiations […]
