Bananas are the world’s most exported fresh fruit both in volume and value. They are exported primarily from developing countries to industrialized countries, the latter accounting for close to 90 percent of world net imports. With global exports estimated at over US$ 7 billion in 2008, bananas are an essential source of income and employment for hundreds of thousands of households in developing countries, notably in Latin American, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and West Africa. However, agrochemical-intensive banana production on large-scale plantations, distortions along the value chain and declining producer prices have given rise to environmental and social challenges. Meeting these complex international challenges requires the involvement of all stakeholders of the banana sector worldwide.
Two international conferences were held to discuss these challenges and how to address them. The second one in 2005 gathered some 250 stakeholders of the banana sector [1] and reached consensus on the need for establishing a permanent multi-stakeholder forum. This consensus was reaffirmed in a series of meetings and workshops held from 2006 to 2008 with the participation of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Labour Organization (ILO), FAO, representatives from the governments of banana exporting and importing countries and NGOs. As the neutrality of the facilitator was deemed critical, it was suggested that the forum should be facilitated by the United Nations.
In 2009 FAO, with co-funding from the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID), implemented the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Sustainable Banana Production and Trade (MSF) project. The MSF facilitated a preparatory committee composed of a balanced number of representatives from the banana industry, civil-society organizations and national governments whose role was to lead the organization of an international forum on sustainable banana production and trade ("World Banana Forum").
The Forum was held at the FAO's headquarters in Rome in December 2009. Over 150 representatives from the banana sector throughout the world attended the meeting. The participants reached a common understanding of the key issues facing the industry and prioritized them. They formed 3 specialized working groups to carry out activities to address these issues. Most importantly, they decided to establish the World Banana Forum (WBF), a permanent forum that facilitates the sharing of information, ideas and best practices among the stakeholders of the banana sector and coordinate the working groups.
[1] This term includes: producers, their organizations, trade unions, cooperatives, exporter groups, private companies (including major banana marketing companies, traders and retailers), public agencies, governments, research institutions and civil society organizations.
