Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. 13% of adults in the world are obese and approximately 40% are overweight. Obesity is one of the leading causes of death in the world, linked to millions of deaths each year. Even if obesity does not kill, it can cause various debilitating diseases that reduce a person's quality of life and can bring serious additional health costs. Some of the reasons behind this unprecedented increase in obesity rates are increased consumption of processed food and a less sedentary lifestyle.
Fruits and vegetables make up a large part of a healthy diet. While fast food is delicious, a large part of our diet should consist of fruits and vegetables, of which bananas are a part. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, bananas are ranked as the leading product of agricultural trade and production in the world. Bananas are in high demand, especially in emerging markets with rapidly growing populations. However, since most of the banana production is done by small farmers, it is difficult to estimate the exact production of the fruit.
It is estimated that world banana production, which was 69 million tons between 2000 and 2002, increased to 115 million tons between 2017 and 2019. This means that the banana has reached a market value of 40 billion dollars with a 67% increase in production. In the banana export industry, which is estimated to be worth 13 billion dollars, only 18% of the production is exported and the rest is consumed locally due to high demand.
The banana industry has also been heavily affected by the pandemic in 2020. Disruptions in the global supply chain and the rapid decline in economic activity affected the sector. In addition to cold chains, it is important to coordinate both harvest and post-harvest processes, as bananas are highly perishable.
Because banana is a monoculture plant, that is, only one crop can be grown in the field at a time, it requires intensive agro-industrial methods for growth, which have a negative impact on the climate.
Banana is the most popular fruit in the United States. Their consumption is greater than the sum of both oranges and apples. Even if the United States is not among the top 100 countries in banana production, the world's largest banana producing companies are in this country. In fact, it is thought that nearly half of the world's banana market is shared by five companies. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., which is among the 10 largest agricultural companies in the USA. (NYSE:FDP), three of these companies are in the United States.
Although we have already mentioned that it is difficult to predict exact banana production due to the involvement of small farmers in the production, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States regularly provides information on its production. Although banana production in the United States is not as large as in South America, the vast majority of global production comes from two major Asian countries.
Let's take a look at the top 15 banana producing countries in the world, which we have determined according to the countries' production between 2019-2020:
15. Kenya
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 1.715.770
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 1.856.659
Kenya's rainy, high altitude and temperate climate is ideal for growing bananas in the country.
14. Vietnam
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 2.194.247
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 2,191,379
For Vietnam, bananas have been the most important agricultural export product for the past few years. Vietnam produces approximately 1.8% of the total banana production in the world.
13. Peru
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 2,252,172
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 2,314,514
Using 8,000 hectares of land for banana production, Peru doubled its production between 2010 and 2015.
12. Costa Rica
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 2.249.400
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 2,528,721
Costa Rica has witnessed the highest growth of any country on our list of the world's largest banana producers.
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11. Mexico
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 2.399.490
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 2,464,171
The banana, which is quite popular in Mexico, has become self-sufficient in the crop.
10. Colombia
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 2,914,419
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 2,434,900
Colombia, the world's fifth largest exporter of bananas, employs more than 150,000 people in the country's banana industry, according to BananaLink.
9.United Republic of Tanzania
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 3,406,936
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 3,419,436
Tanzania, Africa's second largest banana producer, has more than 900,000 households in the banana industry.
8. Angola
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 4,036,959
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 4,115,028
Angola, Africa's largest banana producer, increased its production by 2% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
7. Guatemala
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 4,343,827
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 4,476,680
Over 100,000 hectares of land are used for banana production in Guatemala, one of the world's largest producers of bananas, and the industry employs more than 30,000 people.
6. Philippines
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 6,049,601
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 5.955.311
The Philippines uses close to 500,000 hectares of land for the production of bananas and the cultivation of different fruit varieties. While the world's 3rd largest banana producer, falling to the 6th place, the Philippines recorded a 1.6% decrease in 2020 compared to the previous year.
5. Ecuador
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 6,583,477
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 6,023,390
In Ecuador, which has 5% of the total global banana production, banana exports constitute 10% of the country's total exports. There are more than 5,000 banana growers in the country, which includes small farmers, medium and large companies. In addition, there are 200 exporting companies operating in the banana industry in Ecuador.
4. Brazil
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 6,831,874
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 6,637,308
With a decrease of 2.85% in production compared to 2019, Brazil is still the largest banana producer in Latin America. A study conducted by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company showed that the average Brazilian consumes 25 kilograms of bananas per year, and is preferred by many.
3. Indonesia
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 7,280,659
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 8,182,756
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country and one of the world's largest banana producers, has increased its production, which was only 1.2 million tons in 1976, almost 7 times today. With 5.6 million dollars worth of banana exports in 2020, Indonesia is the 61st largest banana exporting country in the world.
2. China
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 11,998,329
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 11,872,600
The first country on our list to exceed 10 million tons of banana production, China focuses on the Cavendish variety, which is by far the most popular type of banana in the world.
1. India
Total banana production in 2019 (in tons): 30,460,000
Total banana production in 2020 (in tons): 31,504,000
India is at the top of the list of the world's 15 largest banana producers. Responsible for about a quarter of total banana production globally, India, together with China, produces more than a third of total global production. While most major banana producers reduced production in 2020 compared to the previous year, India managed to increase its production by 3.4%.