How Food Brands are Involved in Colonial Violence

Earlier this month, the popular fruit brand, Chiquita was ordered to pay $38 Million to families of men killed during Colombia’s civil war. This settlement is significant because as part of addressing food security is dealing with how enormous foreign corporations from Canada and the US (among other imperial countries) operate with near impunity across the globe. Chiquita is just one example of how these brands have operated for decades (if not centuries). I highly encourage you to read about how Chiquita rebranded from the infamous United Fruit Company here.

Chiquita (AKA the United Fruit Company) is a prime example of how food production often involves tremendous violence to people and landscapes:

“The banana workers’ demands included a 6-day work week, payment with money rather than company coupons, …, and a demand that is still echoed today by the hundreds of thousands of gig-economy workers globally: to be recognized as employees.”

–The Banana Massacre and Monopolies