"The True Cost Of Bananas." This is a Facebook video
report of "For Food's Sake!" of CNA Insider about "The True Cost
Of Bananas" by host Lennard Yeong (Tuesday, 11 December 2018, facebook.com).
I'm a creative writer but this one surprises me with a twist.
"A fungal disease has struck in the banana capital of
the Philippines, Compostela Valley," it begins, "forcing farmers to burn
entire swathes of trees."
In a few seconds, the story switches to a retailer in
Singapore who says that banana "wholesale prices have increased by 25% in
the last 3 years." Then the screen flashes this: "But if we are
paying more in Singapore, why aren't farmers in the Philippines
benefitting?"
Ha! The real story is the bad banana economics, not the bad
banana fungal disease.
"The multinational companies set the buying price of
the bananas through contracts. The price is too low. Many farm owners don't
have any choice but to accept it."
What about banana packers? "They get paid less than minimum
wage." What about the exporters? What about the importers? The video story
says, "It's a known fact that the wholesalers are actually taking it in."
The video ends with the question, "So, what can we as consumers do?"
With Mr Yeong, CNA Insider already has done its job
reporting on the sad banana boat song in Mindanao. I must salute the CNA video
boys for coming up with a report that provokes thinking, not thrashing. Is CNA
trying to teach our own ABS-CBN and GMA News and TV5 crews how to be intelligent
about video? Thank you, guys!
"Intellectual property has the shelf life of a
banana" – Bill Gates. So I, a Microsoft believer ask, "Why has
Microsoft had a shelf life of 43 years and counting?" Founded 04 April
1975, it has made Bill Gates a billionaire many times over. If the market is
fair to Microsoft, why not to the banana growers and packers?
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