Even before my Signature project commenced, I was aware of the dangers within the banana industry; however, I recently discovered a film available on Youtube titled, "Banana Land: Blood, Bullets & Poison," which can be accessed through this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoRmtQht8-E. I found the United Fruit Company's marketing strategies and propaganda especially concerning, as they romanticized Central America and used suggestive depictions of women to sell more produce. Additionally, small decisions, like telling consumers not to refrigerate their bananas (which would make them last longer), resulted in the purchasing of more fruit. Additionally, the reality that many villages are located in close proximity to banana plantations, results in fungicides and insecticides landing on people's skin, creating serious health problems. Because healthcare is not easily accessible in remote areas, finding remedies and medicine is challenging. Lastly, the film did a fantastic job of highlighting the "Massacre de las Bananas," an event in which the United Fruit Company murdered hundreds of banana workers. A few people in the documentary pointed at the fact that even 80 years after this event, this company, now called Chiquita, still kills, abuses, and stigmatizes laborers. In the next stage of my project, I plan to look into several banana companies and how they've impacted historically marginalized populations around the globe.
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