{"id":2856,"date":"2017-12-15T04:35:31","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T04:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/formand-for-banan-eksportoerer-vi-overholder-alle-regler\/"},"modified":"2024-07-23T12:01:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T12:01:13","slug":"formand-for-banan-eksportoerer-vi-overholder-alle-regler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/en\/formand-for-banan-eksportoerer-vi-overholder-alle-regler\/","title":{"rendered":"Chairman of banana exporters: \u201cWe comply with all regulations\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>A Danwatch Investigation<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Chairman of banana exporters: \u201cWe comply with all regulations\u201d<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/interview-768x433.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/interview-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/interview.jpg 450w, https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/interview.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/interview.jpg 1267w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"433\" \/><\/p>\n<h6>A Danwatch Investigation<\/h6>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Chairman of banana exporters: \u201cWe comply with all regulations\u201d<\/h1>\n<p>Eduardo Ledesma, chairman of Ecuador\u2019s banana exporters, has been working in the banana industry for twenty years and receives us in his office at the port of Guayaquil, the country\u2019s largest city.<br \/>\n<a title=\"4:35 AM\" href=\"#\" rel=\"date\"><br \/>\n15. december 2017 <\/a><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"avatar avatar-40 photo\" src=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/13cc5d5b75d2486fda24b8a2d53992e3-12.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/13cc5d5b75d2486fda24b8a2d53992e3-14.jpeg 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" \/><br \/>\nRebeca Calabria<\/p>\n<p>Journalist<\/p>\n<p>Editing: Amalie Linde \/ Photo: Esteban Barrera (Danwatch) &amp; Jesper Nymark (Danwatch)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"avatar avatar-60 photo\" src=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/13cc5d5b75d2486fda24b8a2d53992e3-13.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/13cc5d5b75d2486fda24b8a2d53992e3-15.jpeg 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" \/><br \/>\nRebeca Calabria<\/p>\n<p>Journalist<\/p>\n<p>Editing: Amalie Linde \/ Photo: Esteban Barrera (Danwatch) &amp; Jesper Nymark (Danwatch)<\/p>\n<p>In cooperation with Dagbladet (Norwey)<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/logo-dagbladet.png\" \/><br \/>\n<a title=\"4:35 AM\" href=\"#\" rel=\"date\"><br \/>\n15. december 2017 <\/a><br \/>\nEduardo Ledesma, chairman of Ecuador\u2019s banana exporters, has been working in the banana industry for twenty years and receives us in his office at the port of Guayaquil, the country\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;We uphold internal rules to protect employees, we pay them above the minimum wage of course, we uphold environmental standards, social agreements, banana laws, and social insurance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer><cite>Eduardo Ledesma, Chairman of banana exporters in Ecuador<\/cite><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=%22We+uphold+internal+rules+to+protect+employees%2C+we+pay+them+above+the+minimum+wage+of+course%2C+we+uphold+environmental+standards%2C+social+agreements%2C+banana+laws%2C+and+social+insurance.%22+%E2%80%94+Eduardo+Ledesma%2C+%3Cspan+style%3D%22font-family%3A+Chivo%3B+font-size%3A+18px%3B+font-style%3A+normal%3B+font-variant-ligatures%3A+normal%3B+font-variant-caps%3A+normal%3B+font-weight%3A+300%3B%22%3EChairman+of+banana+exporters+in+Ecuador%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan+style%3D%22font-family%3A+Chivo%3B+font-size%3A+18px%3B+font-style%3A+normal%3B+font-variant-ligatures%3A+normal%3B+font-variant-caps%3A+normal%3B+font-weight%3A+300%3B%22%3E%3C%2Fspan%3E&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdanwatch.dk%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nTweet<br \/>\n<\/a><\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The banana industry is one of the most important in Ecuador, and a great many people are dependent upon it.<\/p>\n<p>More than 200,000 people pick and pack bananas on the country\u2019s 5737 banana plantations, which sit on about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bananalink.org.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/PROEC_AS2016_BANANOI-1.pdf\">163,000 hectares<\/a> of land. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aebe.com.ec\/2017\/09\/foro-internacional-cre-satelita\/\">According to the industry\u2019s trade organisation in Ecuador<\/a>, the country accounts for 29% of banana exports worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Eduardo Ledesma is the chairman of Ecuador\u2019s banana exporters, and he speaks of the pride Ecuadorians feel for the industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBananas are a point of reference both nationally and internationally, but it is a constant struggle between the government and the producers and exporters. \u00a0The country does not appreciate us. \u00a0Yes, Ecuadoreans are proud of their bananas, but the government does not give the proper attention to the banana industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>What about exports? Will it be better with the EU from now on?<\/h3>\n<p>Last year, we exported 319 million boxes of bananas, and this year we will probably be up around 323. \u00a0We expect to grow by 2 or 3%.<\/p>\n<h3>Who are your most important customers?<\/h3>\n<p>We sell the most to Russia, with 25%. To the EU as a bloc, we sell 33%, and then the US with 9%.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;There may be one report or many reports, but it\u2019s not the case. Why have you not gone to Colombia, Costa Rica or Guatemala? The Philippines? India?&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer><cite>Eduardo Ledesma, Chairman of banana exporters in Ecuador<\/cite><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=%22There+may+be+one+report+or+many+reports%2C+but+it%E2%80%99s+not+the+case.+Why+have+you+not+gone+to+Colombia%2C+Costa+Rica+or+Guatemala%3F+The+Philippines%3F+India%3F%22%0A+%E2%80%94+Eduardo+Ledesma%2C+Chairman+of+banana+exporters+in+Ecuador&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdanwatch.dk%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nTweet<br \/>\n<\/a><\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>How much does a banana cost in Ecuador?<\/h3>\n<p>They pretty much give them away in the supermarkets. \u00a0They are not sold individually, and a kilo costs about $0.50. \u00a0Let\u2019s say about 10 cents per banana. \u00a0The supermarkets are the big winners, but they are also the most demanding. \u00a0Ecuadorian banana production complies with all international regulations. \u00a0We uphold internal rules to protect employees, we pay them above the minimum wage of course, we uphold environmental standards, social agreements, banana laws, and social insurance. \u00a0The bananas satisfy EU requirements regarding pesticide tolerance. \u00a0The tendency in Ecuador is to remove pesticides corresponding to particular countries\u2019 needs or requirements. \u00a0Ecuador does not use products that are not permitted in the EU or the USA.<\/p>\n<h3>I can guarantee you that some of the plantations we visited were using pesticides forbidden by the EU.<\/h3>\n<p>I don\u2019t know what plantations you visited where you saw pesticides not approved by the EU, that you can make that accusation. \u00a0I am not surprised, because anything is possible. \u00a0As a trade organisation, we try to persuade our partners to uphold the rules. \u00a0All I know is, this is some kind of European terrorism, coming to disrupt and influence the Ecuadorian banana sector. \u00a0Why don\u2019t you go to Guatemala, where they pay six dollars, when we pay nearly thirty? Why don\u2019t you go to Guatemala, to influence and annoy them? \u00a0We have asked the Foreign Ministry to look at the situation and complain about these organisations trying to damage Ecuador.<\/p>\n<h3>Do the pesticides used in Ecuador affect people\u2019s health?<\/h3>\n<p>Some do and some don\u2019t. \u00a0They must be used according to pesticide regulations. The pesticides that are used here are the same as those used in Guatemala, Colombia, in all countries. \u00a0If they are forbidden by the EU, then I can assure you they are not used here. \u00a0And in that case, tell me the name of the product and the banana producer. \u00a0Tell me who they are. \u00a0If you are a good journalist, tell me that. \u00a0My partners do not use pesticides that are forbidden in the EU.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Stop insisting on that, because it\u2019s a lie. I have obviously been present when they are spraying, and no one is so stupid as to do that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer><cite>Eduardo Ledesma, Chairman of banana exporters in Ecuador<\/cite><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=%22Stop+insisting+on+that%2C+because+it%E2%80%99s+a+lie.++I+have+obviously+been+present+when+they+are+spraying%2C+and+no+one+is+so+stupid+as+to+do+that.%22+++%E2%80%94+Eduardo+Ledesma%2C+Chairman+of+banana+exporters+in+Ecuador&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdanwatch.dk%2Fwp-admin%2Fadmin-ajax.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nTweet<br \/>\n<\/a><\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>We have spoken with workers who find themselves under crop dusters when they are spraying pesticides from the air.<\/h3>\n<p>That\u2019s a lie. \u00a0That\u2019s a lie, because the workers are notified. \u00a0Stop insisting on that, because it\u2019s a lie. \u00a0I have obviously been present when they are spraying, and no one is so stupid as to do that. \u00a0I tell you, it is a lie. \u00a0If you really want to make the truth into a lie (pounds on the table), then let\u2019s end this interview. \u00a0I tell you, it is a lie.<\/p>\n<h3>We have visited villages where current and former employees of banana plantations live. They say that the planes spray their homes.<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s not true. \u00a0It\u2019s not true\u2026 It\u2019s a lie. \u00a0There is more pollution in other products than in bananas. \u00a0Bananas do not contain contaminants, because it\u2019s not people doing the spraying. \u00a0The pesticides come from planes using GPS to control where they [the chemicals] land, and how they land. \u00a0If they were spraying over populated areas or in an irresponsible way, then people might be hit with it. But this is probably false information from competing countries that want to hurt Ecuador.<\/p>\n<h3>Let\u2019s turn to the issue of illness. \u00a0The Manuela Espejo report demonstrates that the incidence of illnesses like cancer is significantly higher in banana-producing regions than in others.<\/h3>\n<p>That has not been proven. \u00a0I do not trust the report from the institution in question.<\/p>\n<h3>The Manuela Espejo report also looks at the incidence of cancer and birth defects near banana plantations.<\/h3>\n<p>That is not true. \u00a0If you continue to ask me about cancer and birth defects, I will continue to deny it, because it is not the reality. \u00a0There may be one report or many reports, but it\u2019s not the case. Why have you not gone to Colombia, Costa Rica or Guatemala? The Philippines? India?<\/p>\n<h3>What kind of documentation would you require to admit that this is a real problem?<\/h3>\n<p>I am certain that there is no such [documentation], and if there is, it has been falsified. \u00a0I cannot imagine why I should want to shut down the businesses you have examined. \u00a0No. \u00a0I believe that my banana farmers uphold all the rules.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation is devided in to articles. You decide where to begin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eduardo Ledesma, chairman of Ecuador\u2019s banana exporters, has been working in the banana industry for twenty years and receives us in his office at the port of Guayaquil, the country\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Chairman of banana exporters: \u201cWe comply with all regulations\u201d","description":"Eduardo Ledesma, chairman of Ecuador\u2019s banana exporters, has been working in the banana industry for twenty years and receives us in his office at the port of G"},"iawp_total_views":15,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_branche":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_del-af-undersogelse":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_genre":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_land":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_serie-fokus":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_tema":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_virksomhed":0,"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"branche":[516],"del-af-undersogelse":[1018],"genre":[66],"land":[1023],"serie-fokus":[],"sorteres-som":[],"styling-design":[],"tema":[556,593],"virksomhed":[351,887,106,107,381,888,889,588],"ppma_author":[892],"class_list":["post-2856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","branche-food","del-af-undersogelse-bananer-2","genre-investigation","land-ecuador-2","tema-climate-environment","tema-workers-rights","virksomhed-aldi","virksomhed-chiquita","virksomhed-dagrofa","virksomhed-dansk-supermarked","virksomhed-lidl","virksomhed-nemlig-com","virksomhed-rainforest-alliance","virksomhed-rema-1000"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"Uncategorized"}],"branche":[{"value":516,"label":"Food"}],"del-af-undersogelse":[{"value":1018,"label":"Bananer"}],"genre":[{"value":66,"label":"Investigation"}],"land":[{"value":1023,"label":"Ecuador"}],"tema":[{"value":556,"label":"Climate &amp; 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