Banana industry in the Caribbean

CHANGUINOLA, PANAMA - SEPTEMBER 17: Indian migrant workers rest in the shadow of a transport car at a banana plantation on September 17, 2004 in Changuinola, Panama. Eighty percent of the exported bananas in the world are grown in Latin America. Local farms have no other alternative than to sell for a price offered by the multinational company. When working conditions (workers on the plantations are hired on a monthly-contract basis) and ecology (some pesticides used on the banana plantations are forbidden in Europe and in the US) is in question, the corporations do not have any responsibility as they do not own plantations. Local governments in the attempt of organizing banana export provide low duty taxes on export, they try to eliminate social and enviromental politics to attract the big companies to their countries. (Photo by Jan Sochor/Latincontent/Getty Images)