The Environmental Impact of Banana Production Can Be Diminished by Proper Treatment of Wastes

The Agricultural College for the Humid Tropical Region (E.A.R.T.H.), the National Banana Corporation (CORBANA) and Clemson University in South Carolina have formed a consortium called ECOBANA which intends to mount a program of exhaustive research to identify the problem and begin the search for alternative solutions. Currently, work is progressing to diminish other risks through the application of environmentally sound practices in the E.A.R.T.H. banana farm. This program involves concrete actions with waste bananas, main stems (pimote), plastic bags used to protect maturing stems, material used for bracing standiig plants and waste water from the packing plant. On the matter of deforestation, E.A.R.T.H. does not intend to expand planted areas by sacrificing standing forests; rather, plans are to increase natural forest area from the current 350 hectares to 1,000