The Film

Every day, men and women in the tropics bind their fortunes to the banana. The world's most popular fruit is the source of riches for a fortunate few, the source of much-needed wages for tens of thousands, and a source of controversy across the world. For decades, the bananalands have been a battleground over environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture and human rights. And in this crucible, when times are toughest, people standing on the brink of failure can sometimes see the path to a better future.

PERISHABLE looks at Chiquita, formerly the United Fruit Company, one of the world’s most successful, iconic and reviled corporations. With rare access to compelling characters inside this giant—and among its partners, critics and competitors—the film tells the story of one of the industry’s biggest economic booms.  And most devastating busts.

The film explores the aftermath of that crisis—the near bankruptcies, the restructurings, and the questions—and chronicles the way crisis brought a rare opportunity to rewrite the rules of the banana game. It reports on a critical moment for a tough business and offers a frank assessment of the aftermath.

Banana growers in Latin America and the Caribbean think every day about consumers in the United States and Europe. They struggle to keep prices low and rush to respond to conflicting demands from environmentalists, activists and labor leaders. When consumers in the United States and Europe buy a banana, they seldom feel this drama. PERISHABLE turns the telescope around to show this economy from the other point of view. 

An intimate portrayal of characters in three countries, the documentary and its outreach materials, contribute a global perspective to today’s heated debates about sustainable development and the food we eat. PERISHABLE is a primer on the global economy. It paints a vibrant portrait of seldom-seen communities in rural Latin America and the Caribbean.  And it offers a visual mediation on the impact of economic institutions in our lives and landscapes.