1125: Bananas | Skeptical Sunday

Bananas: nutritious treat or geopolitical nightmare? Jessica Wynn unpeels the shocking truth behind our favorite fruit on this week's Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Jessica Wynn!

On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:

• The United Fruit Company (later Chiquita) wielded extraordinary power in the early and mid-20th century • , orchestrating military coups in Honduras and Guatemala, and influencing US foreign policy to protect its interests. This corporate empire even played a role in events leading to the Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis.

• In 1928, Colombian banana workers protesting for basic rights like real currency payment and decent housing were surrounded by military forces and massacred. • While the government claimed 47 deaths, other accounts put the toll at around 3,000 — a stark example of the violence underpinning the industry.

• Even today, banana workers face inhumane conditions including chemical exposure, poverty-level wages, and suppression of union activities. • The industry has been linked to child labor, sexual exploitation, and human rights abuses across Latin America.

• The banana industry uses more agrochemicals than almost any other crop sector • , with about 85% missing their target and contaminating workers, communities, and ecosystems. Monoculture farming depletes soil, threatens biodiversity, and pollutes water systems, even damaging coral reefs.

• Despite this troubling history, consumers can make positive choices by seeking out bananas from ethical producers like Equal Exchange, Coliman, Earth University, and Organics Unlimited/GROW. • These brands prioritize sustainable practices and fair treatment of workers, allowing us to enjoy this nutritious fruit while supporting systems that benefit both people and our planet.

• Connect with Jordan • on Twitter • , Instagram • , and YouTube • . If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com • and let him know!

• Connect with Jessica Wynn • at Instagram • and Threads • , and subscribe to her newsletter: Between the Lines! •

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1125

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.