{"id":129796,"date":"2026-10-19T22:24:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T20:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/?p=129796"},"modified":"2026-10-19T22:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T20:40:00","slug":"marike-de-pena-fairtrade-banana-price-fruit-attraction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/en\/2026\/10\/19\/marike-de-pena-fairtrade-banana-price-fruit-attraction\/","title":{"rendered":"Marike de Pe\u00f1a (Fairtrade): \u201cEverything goes up except the price\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marike Runneboom de Pe\u00f1a<\/strong> is Interim CEO of Fairtrade International<\/a><\/strong>. Born in the Netherlands, she has lived in the Dominican Republic for four decades and has worked alongside the small-scale farmers of Banelino<\/strong>, a pioneering organisation in Fairtrade and organic bananas. Bio Eco Actual meets her at Fruit Attraction 2026 in Madrid<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Marike Runneboom de Pe\u00f1a during the interview in the Fairtrade International booth at Fruit Attraction 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How did your involvement with Fairtrade begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Banelino, we were one of the first banana producer organisations to become Fairtrade certified, in 1996. We started very early, when Fairtrade was beginning to work with bananas, after coffee and cocoa. Our organisation initially grew conventional bananas in the Dominican Republic. Hurricanes destroyed the harvest and, when we resumed production, we began working with organic and organic Fairtrade bananas. We have followed that model since 2000.<\/p>\n

Fairtrade enables small-scale farmers to access a market with better prices, but it also supports environmental, social and economic development that benefits a whole community and lasts over time.<\/p>\n

Before Fairtrade, I worked on development projects. I have seen that when farmers decide how to invest the money they earn from production, those investments address real priorities and are very sustainable. That is my passion: it is not charity or a donation, but development driven by farming families. The farmers themselves look after their investment.<\/p>\n

What is your personal connection to the Dominican Republic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born in the Netherlands and moved to the Dominican Republic when I was twenty. I have lived there for forty years.<\/p>\n

What are the main challenges facing the banana sector in Latin America?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We face more and more challenges. The biggest is that bananas are the cheapest fruit on the market. We were discussing this at a panel this morning: fifty years ago, the real price was better than it is today. The real price has lost 50% of its value<\/strong>. While the prices of apples, vegetables and other products rise, ours remain flat.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we face climate change, the conflict in the Middle East and rising labour costs. Everything goes up except the price.<\/p>\n

Supermarkets often use bananas as a loss leader, even selling them at a loss. What are the consequences?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a retail strategy, and it is very damaging. The pressure is passed down the value chain. Even when retailers sell at a loss, it creates so much pressure that there is no flexibility to raise the price.<\/p>\n

If prices do not increase, there are consequences for the environment and for people. Working conditions suffer, as do the wages farmers can pay and the participation of small-scale producers, who have fewer economies of scale.<\/p>\n

They are the first to suffer, although they are not the only ones. The Windward Islands had many small-scale farmers before COVID-19, and there are now none left exporting bananas. The Dominican Republic has lost a third of its producers in the past three years.<\/p>\n

It is what we call a race to the bottom: it starts with the smallest farmers because they are the most vulnerable, but eventually reaches medium-sized and large producers too. We have to change this situation. At Fairtrade, we want to lead that change by setting the prices the whole industry should be paying.<\/p>\n

What should European supermarkets change when they buy bananas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Their strategy. It is a strategy that works for the retailer, but not for the supply chain. As with other commodities, I believe supermarkets will eventually realise that everyone loses. The problem is that they may realise it too late.<\/p>\n

Banana production is under such intense pressure that we are losing volume and farms. Sooner or later, supply will be affected. On top of that, El Ni\u00f1o is expected to cause damage next year.<\/p>\n

\"Marike
Marike Runneboom de Pe\u00f1a (Fairtrade), interviewed by Oriol Urrutia (Bio Eco Actual).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do new European sustainability and certification requirements help producers, or create further difficulties?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In organic production, they are a challenge. I always say that the intentions behind regulations are good, but the European Union should have consulted producers more about which rules can be implemented and work in practice.<\/p>\n

For example, limiting a small-scale farmer\u2019s holding to five hectares means pushing that farmer into poverty. I think this shows a lack of technical analysis. There is also the requirement for a new legal entity. Some organisations have decided to stop selling to the European Union because, in our countries, that is not legally possible.<\/p>\n

These are difficulties in organic production that could have been avoided through better dialogue. Due diligence, for its part, is in principle very much aligned with Fairtrade.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: the five-hectare threshold is one of the eligibility criteria for organic group certification under Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 2018\/848<\/a>. The regulation also provides alternative economic criteria and specific area limits for greenhouses and permanent grassland.<\/em><\/p>\n

Is that alignment opening doors for Fairtrade in practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Due diligence is already integrated into Fairtrade. It reflects what we call for: shared responsibility<\/strong>. If the industry understands that the shared responsibility the European Union is seeking is already part of our system, it would be a very significant benefit for Fairtrade.<\/p>\n

I believe European businesses themselves are still not clear about what shared responsibility means.<\/p>\n

What message would you like visitors to Fairtrade at Fruit Attraction to take home?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first is that every supply chain, especially the banana supply chain, must be inclusive<\/strong>. Most producers are small-scale farmers, even though they do not sell the largest volume. They account for a very high proportion of producers in every country.<\/p>\n

Yet the supply chain is moving towards their exclusion. That has a major impact on employment, migration, and rural and community development. It also affects organic production and fair trade, because many small-scale farmers hold both certifications.<\/p>\n

We want a supply chain in which small, medium-sized and large producers can all earn a decent living and produce sustainably.<\/p>\n

The second message is that we need to strengthen farmers\u2019 ability to have a real say in banana prices. We grow the bananas, but we do not set their price. That is very unusual: normally, producers set a price for their product. In our case, retailers do it, and that price does not cover the costs we need to meet. Retailers\u2019 strategy has to change.<\/p>\n

After so many years of work, are you optimistic about further progress towards fairer conditions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I believe we can make progress if we succeed in influencing the European Union so that it is clear what is expected of European companies: shared responsibility on social, environmental and human rights issues. My optimism depends on this not remaining voluntary and optional.<\/p>\n

Author:\u00a0<\/strong>Oriol Urrutia, Co-Editor and Political Scientist<\/p>\n

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