The banana is one of the world’s most accessible fruits and a staple on family tables for generations, but exporters in Ecuador — the globe’s leading supplier — warn that availability could be at risk if international markets fail to recognize the efforts made by producing countries.
The Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters (AEBE) delivered this central message at the 23rd edition of Banana Time Guayaquil, one of the leading Latin American industry conventions where supply chain stakeholders gathered to address challenges and threats to the sector.
In an interview with EFE, AEBE Executive Director José Antonio Hidalgo said the priority for the coming year is ensuring consumers and retailers understand the work behind every Ecuadorian banana sold in supermarkets across more than 70 nations — from rigorous certifications, environmental protection, and pest control to fair living wages.
For the trade group, changing this mindset requires “breaking the vicious cycle of low consumer prices” in supermarkets, particularly in Europe, which industry officials say do not reflect actual production costs.
A 20% drop in value over 15 years
According to Hidalgo, supermarket retail prices for bananas have dropped 20% over the last 15 years, while prices for other fruits have risen between 35% and 47%. “Beyond growing in export volume, we want to grow in value,” he emphasized.
While acknowledging work remains, Hidalgo pointed to progress made alongside other Latin American producer nations in phasing out the so-called “Aldi price” — a price benchmark set by the German supermarket chain and adopted widely by European retailers.
“That no longer exists. Today, Aldi has overhauled its purchasing strategy and adopted fair trade methodology as a benchmark,” Hidalgo said. He noted that the sector is working to expand this standard to other major supermarket chains to safeguard the industry’s long-term sustainability.
Supply chains hit by wars, climate change
Hidalgo highlighted the industry’s commitment to fulfilling overseas orders despite an adverse global climate.
“For us, this has meant longer transit times. The Russia-Ukraine war continues to create logistics bottlenecks, driving up costs for raw materials such as fertilizers and urea, as well as fuel,” he explained.
Those pressures are compounded by weather volatility affecting the Panama Canal, through which more than 82% of Ecuadorian banana exports pass. The interoceanic waterway has had to implement restrictions after reduced rainfall across its watershed basin.
“These are ongoing disruptions that cause delays of several days, complicating our ability to serve clients in various markets on time,” Hidalgo noted.
Precautionary measures against El Niño
Despite these headwinds, Ecuadorian banana exports have continued to expand, reaching 282 million 18.14-kilogram (40-pound) boxes through August of this year — a 9.61% increase compared to the same period in 2025. In value terms, shipments totaled $3 billion, up 9% year-over-year.
Nevertheless, the industry is taking precautions to mitigate potential disruptions from the ongoing El Niño weather pattern, which brings heavy rainfall and flooding to coastal farming regions where plantations are concentrated.
To prepare, AEBE identified 106,000 hectares (261,900 acres) of farmland vulnerable to flooding and more than 1,300 sections of roads that could be affected. The association shared this information with Ecuadorian authorities to facilitate coordinated preventive measures. EFE