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2.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8MDNFaGfT4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8MDNFaGfT4 2

3.  Bananas are the second most popular fruit in Canada but where do they come from? ◦ Central and South America 3

4.  Bananas are the cheapest fruit sold in North America. Why? ◦ Bananas are grown on huge plantations owned or controlled by transnational corporations. ◦ Economies of Scale: savings that come from producing, buying and using things in large quantities. 4

5.  Chemical Fertilizers and pesticides increase the number of bananas grown. This amount is often greater than the demand for bananas. 5

6. ◦ Transnational corporations also reduce their costs by controlling the ships, containers and warehouses that are all part of banana distribution. 6

7.  Labour in Central and South America is cheap and few workers are protected by union agreements. Wages are low. 7

8. 8 Lowest paid workers in Latin America $6.40 Cdn/day How much do women and children make? Figure it out: How much would a male Ecuadorean banana-plantation worker who spent six days a week on the job make in a month? The Ecuadorean government determined that a family of four needed at least $220 Cdn/month to meet basic needs.

9.  Unions? Laws? Protection?  Children in the banana fields ◦ Average of 12 hours a day ◦ Many start working between 8 & 13 ◦ Less than 40% were still in school  Does education help develop a person’s individual and collective identities?  How do you think this lack of education affects the identities of child banana plantation workers? 9

10.  Banana production is largely controlled by three transnational corporations (Del Monte, Dole and Chiquita)  Smaller family run businesses  Higher prices to make profit  1990’s European governments lend a helping hand  Preferred treatment, no taxes or duties  How would this have helped the smaller family businesses? 10

11.  Sparked a dispute with transnational corporations  Unfair  United States government and the WTO ◦ 150 member countries govern on how member countries trade with one another  1997 WTO ruling  American government imposes tariffs on European countries  Who would this affect the most? 11

12.  Tropical Forests are cut down ◦ Soil erosion, flooding, reduces biodiversity  In Costa Rica 60% of the country’s rainforests have been cut down  Use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides ◦ Affects human health ◦ Runs off into rivers, lakes and oceans  Some growers have turned to producing organic bananas. ◦ Dole is an example of this but they are more expensive ◦ Would you pay more for organic bananas? 12

13.  To keep prices low workers face challenges ◦ Low wages, unsafe working conditions  Workers are rarely trained in how to safely handle the synthetic chemicals used to protect crops.  In some instances workers have been required to continue working while planes fly overhead spraying crops with chemicals  Toilet facilities are also rarely provided.  Indigenous peoples are also often forced off their land to make way for plantations  Those who do remain face hardships in their previous way of life when the chemicals affect the wildlife. 13

14.  As a group, create a chart like the one shown below. In each quadrant, list information from the presentation that relate to each dimension of globalization. 14 Political Economic Environmental Social/Cultural