Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World

by Peter Chapman

In this compelling history, Peter Chapman shows how the United Fruit Company took bananas from the jungles of Costa Rica to the halls of power in Washington, D.C., with not just clever marketing, but covert CIA operations, bloody coups and brutalised workforces. And how along the way they turned the banana into a blueprint for a new model of unfettered global one that serves corporate power at any cost.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, World History

240 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2022

Reviews

[Jordan Primeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bananas

[Harry Corless · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT. So informative, united fruit might be most evil company lowk.

[Elfear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not American. Somehow I never fully believed American conspiracy theories that big companies lobby and run everything. Now I do. This book systematically talked through the United Fruits Company's rise to power - and what power it had!

As an overview, the company was more or less founded in 1899 by Minor Keith and Andrew Preston from the merger of their prior businesses. It became one of the most well known and successful agricultural companies of its time, but not long later, in 1970, it was considered defunct. It emerged again later from the ashes, rebranded as Chiquita Brands International that still exists today.

Essentially, what I learned is that through its (1) monopolisation of the railways and major economic industry in Central America (horizontal and vertical control) (2) strong political links (3) capitalising on desperate governments to negotiate land-for-infrastructure deals (4) crazy and unethical marketing/propaganda strategies on its product but also a government! , UFC was able to (1) expand its monopoly across territory including bullying of smaller players (2) expand it political influence eg. supporting coups! (3) oppress its workers and put down revolts brutally and easily

Despite all this, the company fell not long later partly from (1) loss of its political placement/support and (2) crucially from diseases that ravaged its monoculture. There was a long hilarious (not for the players) account of interactions between UFC and the US government which almost seems petty on both sides - tit-for-tat actions (on an international scale!) and mismatching goals (e.g diverging interests during cold war). Meanwhile, I knew monoculture was a problem but never to such an extent. I've heard a lot of our modern foods are from monoculture and this would be more concerning were I not confident in the world's agricultural scientists (and the will of companies).

I'm also kind of shocked, although I don't know why, at all the machinations of the US government in territories near and far to ensure its own benefit. Routinely trying (and succeeding) to manipulate, assassinate, overthrow regimes, and stage coups of politicians of other countries.

I'm not sure how much of this is my own optimistic naïveté. I don't want to go all conspiracy theorist but I definitely want to have a look at how my own country deals with others, and what major corporations could be secretly pulling the strings of my own life. Am I just a money making pawn in the grand scheme of capitalism?

The author concludes with some thoughts on the lasting impacts of the UFC on Central America. It supported military regimes because it was beneficial to the company but exacerbated crime, inequality, difficulty building stable political systems, and created a dependency on the USA. In its wake was vast lands populated by dead banana plantations and unused railways (too expensive for government maintenance). Also created poor communication between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts (Spanish vs English speaking). It helped perpetuate slave-like working conditions. Its propaganda strategies are still being used today, like infiltrating schools with product placement, sponsorships, and advertising to 'get em young'.

This was an easy book to read, and very funny at times. Besides learning specifically about UFC, it fulfilled my aim of learning about the history and culture of Costa Rica and the Central American countries. I can't believe how much power a rather pure capitalist endeavour can have over a people and a country, and the scars it must have left.

Some quotes:

As United Fruit went about expanding its empire, however, it did not always have to bludgeon its way in. It showed how countries might slip into dependency on large companies. It worked its way into the fabric of Costa Rican and Guatemalan society by invitation because it had the resources that these countries lacked.

Yet so often it left devastation and the sense of a large uncaring force that had swept through. While hurricanes were an occupational hazard, United Fruit was a hurricane in its own way. It tramped on from dead plantation to soon-to-be dead plantation, leaving abandoned railroads, bridges and, according to one description, 'highlands of weeds'.

[Charlotte Hanby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book put American diplomatic history primarily with Latin America (but also beyond) into context with the United Fruit company. It jumped around between time periods and names without clear transitions or connections that had me scanning the book to figure out where he’d mention them before. I read the book mostly on two plane rides in the span of 1.5 weeks so I didn’t have that much time in between reading session to forget details so that might give you a hint to the number of names and places mentioned. The book goes into very specific detail about things that you think might be relevant and skims through the later 20th century decades. My favorite part of the book was the sections on the Banana Man.

[Junling Hu · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is not perfect as its later recount of 1960s and 1970s are a little sketchy, it’s an excellent book of the history of Central American countries from 1890s to 1970s and what role the United Fruits company has played in shaping these countries. We saw the building of railroads in Honduras, the completion of Panama Canal, and the policy impact of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and Central America. This books covered many historical figures, where we see daring entrepreneurs, cold-blooded power struggle, and the rise of CIA and Mossad. The death of the last CEO of the company was very suspicious. It has the fingerprints of CIA. It’s chilling to think that how history still repeats today.

[Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the impact of global companies trying to bend smaller local governments to their purposes as a company. A cautionary tale of what can happen with monopolies and the pursuit of corporate profits at the expense of cheap labor. This gives good insight into the term "banana republics" which I didn't know the origin of. Having lived in Guatemala and seen some of the effects of the banana republics and corrupt governments, this was a little more meaningful personally than maybe it would be for some people.

[Захарченко Віктор · Rating 5 out of 5]

Коли Чепмен писав свою книгу в середині 2000-х, він ще обережно натякав, що United Fruit — це рання репетиція чогось, що в XXI столітті повторюватиметься в інших формах. Сьогодні, коли читаєш про переваги tech-компаній у формуванні політик, про юридичний арбітраж, про лобістські мережі, про побудову власних «платформ» замість державних інституцій, розумієш: Sam the Banana Man, який купив Гондурас за 24 700 акрів землі та ящик кулеметів, уже тоді бачив усю конструкцію. Просто називалася вона тоді коротше — бананова республіка.

[Grace Cuddihy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly well-written and very compelling. Similarly to Enemies Within, it was not exactly shocking that United Fruit had engaged in disgusting behavior, but the extensive and well-researched timeline of the company's actions was difficult to sit through. I think the epilogue was particularly interesting - Chapman engages in an incredibly thoughtful and interesting reflection on the legacy of United Fruit in the current age of globalization and multi-national corporations.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revelatory in its larger discussion of the emergence of multinational companies, how the U.S. created "banana republics," the CIA, US and United Fruit Company staging coups and fighting wars and the use of corporate social responsibility so long ago. What was a somewhat difficult read is tied together with an epilogue that pulls together the history and effects of the United Fruit Company and all the other players abetting them on Central America.

[cabrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! There were some portions that I felt were a bit inadequately explained and I found I needed to seek elsewhere for information to fully get what happened, but as a whole it was a great place to learn a piece of history that isn't discussed much (especially in the American education system)

[Rick Fifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with the United Fruit Company and how they did business in Central America growing, selling and using their clout to move bananas. It also tells about United States policy in the region led to unstable governments and U.S. intervention in Guatemala and Nicaragua.

[Bonita Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview

An interesting, enjoyable and easy read. Well researched and presented. This is a good introduction to US involvement in Central America by way of United Fruit. Lessons of business practice, politics and social responsibility are addressed with wry humor.

[Theo Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

if there's one book to read on an evil corporation it's this one, covers a lot of ground regarding Americas foreign policy in the 1800-1900s whilst not being too textbook, and shows in a frightening way just how much private bodies are able to get away with

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars.

Honestly, it was okay.

[Richard Wickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Not particularly well written or structured, but chronicles a very important bit of history that should be talked about more.

[takeeveryshot · Rating 5 out of 5]

altered my brain chemistry i'm not joking i have not been normal since i read this

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must now resist the masculine urge to start a banana company.

[figs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear evidence of the dangers of the private sector being in bed with goverment. Makes me sick to even look at the banana next to me.

[Jake Hertz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monkey eat babana

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.. but as other reviewers have pointed out to prone to try and extrapolate towards big ideas and future directions of travel with only the barest of detail.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ★

[Nate Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, albeit dry, account of US and UF meddling in Central American (and beyond) autonomy.

[Joe Gangstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now know why Latin America/Caribbean people hate the US govt/big corporations

[Dylan Simel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book and said “wow that’s a book I would like!” And guess what? I liked it! The modern history of Central America has been greatly shaped by a fruit that we in America take for granted. We grab it by the bunch and eat it daily; completely unaware of how it got from the jungles to our grocery basket.

[Nikki Ritsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting ideas, but poorly organized and lacks a central character.