Banana Capital
Machala, Équateur, capitale mondiale de la banane. Banana Capital lève le voile sur les drames humains et écologiques cachés derrière l’industrie de ce fruit apparemment anodin.
ONE OF CHOICE REVIEW'S OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLES OF 2025
For more than a century, banana plantations and farms in Latin America have defined the landscape and economies wherever these fruits are grown-toxic chemicals, exploited workers, and fragile monocultures are their legacy.
At the southern end of Ecuador's la costa region lies the city of Machala, the self-described "Banana Capital" of the world. There, farmers and workers experience alarming rates of negative health effects associated with widespread pesticide use along with precarious and unsafe working conditions. Banana Capital: Stories, Science, and Poison at the Equator reveals the grim realities of daily life for banana farmers and, beyond that, seeks to understand and address these challenges.
Ben Brisbois's search for understanding leads him back to the 19th-century origins of banana production in the Americas and through over a century of imperialism, bloodshed, and ecological devastation. Along the way, he uncovers how worker-led resistances and the ever-unpredictable ecosystem thwart repeated attempts by powerful multinationals and their government allies to extract more and more wealth from banana plantations at the cost of Latin American health and lives.
Banana Capital reveals the power dynamics of life in the banana industry- dynamics vividly experienced by workers caught in a struggle against corporations prioritizing profit over the health of the land and the community.
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For more than a century, banana plantations and farms in Latin America have defined the landscape and economies wherever these fruits are grown-toxic chemicals, exploited workers, and fragile monocultures are their legacy.
At the southern end of Ecuador's la costa region lies the city of Machala, the self-described "Banana Capital" of the world. There, farmers and workers experience alarming rates of negative health effects associated with widespread pesticide use along with precarious and unsafe working conditions. Banana Capital: Stories, Science, and Poison at the Equator reveals the grim realities of daily life for banana farmers and, beyond that, seeks to understand and address these challenges.
Ben Brisbois's search for understanding leads him back to the 19th-century origins of banana production in the Americas and through over a century of imperialism, bloodshed, and ecological devastation. Along the way, he uncovers how worker-led resistances and the ever-unpredictable ecosystem thwart repeated attempts by powerful multinationals and their government allies to extract more and more wealth from banana plantations at the cost of Latin American health and lives.
Banana Capital reveals the power dynamics of life in the banana industry- dynamics vividly experienced by workers caught in a struggle against corporations prioritizing profit over the health of the land and the community.
shield_question Frequently Asked Questions
Banana Capital offre une plongée édifiante dans les coulisses de l’industrie bananière, révélant les coûts humains et environnementaux d’un fruit omniprésent dans nos assiettes. Ben Brisbois y mêle récit historique, témoignages de travailleurs et analyse scientifique pour exposer les mécanismes d’exploitation et de résistance. Ce livre est une invitation à repenser notre rapport à la consommation et à la justice sociale.
Le livre aborde des thèmes aussi variés que l’exploitation des travailleurs, les conséquences des pesticides sur la santé, l’héritage du colonialisme et de l’impérialisme, la monoculture et ses impacts écologiques, ainsi que les résistances ouvrières face aux multinationales. Il questionne aussi le rôle des consommateurs dans la perpétuation de ce système.
Banana Capital s’adresse à tous ceux qui s’intéressent aux enjeux sociaux, environnementaux et économiques contemporains. Les amateurs d’enquêtes journalistiques, d’histoire sociale ou de sciences politiques y trouveront une analyse fouillée, tandis que les consommateurs soucieux d’éthique y puiseront des clés pour comprendre l’impact de leurs choix.
Grâce à la fonctionnalité de chat, vous pourrez interroger le livre sur des aspects précis : les conditions de travail dans les plantations, les maladies liées aux pesticides, les mouvements de résistance des ouvriers, le rôle des multinationales, ou encore des solutions alternatives pour une production plus juste et durable. Vous pourrez aussi demander des précisions sur les sources historiques ou les études scientifiques citées.
tag Keywords
banane
équateur
machala
industrie bananière
pesticides
exploitation des travailleurs
monoculture
colonialisme
impérialisme
écologie
santé publique
résistance ouvrière
multinationales
justice sociale
consommation éthique
amérique latine
ben brisbois
enquête journalistique
histoire sociale
sciences politiques
agriculture intensive
capitalisme
globalisation
témoignages
livre engagé
smartbook
ebook
university of regina press
2025
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