Banana Wars: Power, Production, and History in the Americas (American Encounters/Global Interactions)

Annotation Over the past century, the banana industry has radically transformed Latin America and the Caribbean and become a major site of United StatesLatin American interaction. Banana Wars is a history of the Americas told through the cultural, political, economic, and agricultural processes that brought bananas from the forests of Latin America and the Caribbean to the breakfast tables of the United States and Europe. The first book to examine these processes in all the western hemisphere regions where bananas are grown for sale abroad, Banana Wars advances the growing body of scholarship focusing on export commodities from historical and social scientific perspectives. Bringing together the work of anthropologists, sociologists, economists, historians, and geographers, this collection reveals how the banana industry marshaled workers of differing nationalities, ethnicities, and languages and, in so doing, created unprecedented potential for conflict throughout Latin American and the Caribbean. The frequently abusive conditions that banana workers experienced, the contributors point out, gave rise to one of Latin Americas earliest and most militant labor movements. Responding to both the demands of workers organizations and the power of U.S. capital, Latin American governments were inevitably affected by banana production. Banana Wars explores how these governments sometimes asserted their sovereignty over foreign fruit companies, but more often became their willing accomplices. With several essays focusing on the operations of the extraordinarily powerful United Fruit Company, the collection also examines the strategies and reactions of the American and European corporations seeking to profit from the sale of bananas grown by people of different cultures working in varied agricultural and economic environments. Contributors Philippe Bourgois Marcelo Bucheli Dario Euraque Cindy Forster Lawrence Grossman Mark Moberg Laura T. Raynolds Karla Slocum John Soluri Steve Striffler Allen Wells Reveals How The Banana Industry Marshaled Workers Of Differing Nationalities, Ethnicities, And Languages And, In So Doing, Created Unprecedented Potential For Conflict Throughout Latin American And The Caribbean. The Frequently Abusive Conditions That Banana Workers Experienced, The Contributors Point Out, Gave Rise To One Of Latin America's Earliest And Most Militant Labor Movements. Responding To Both The Demands Of Workers' Organizations And The Power Of U.s. Capital, Latin American Governments Were Inevitably Affected By Banana Production, Some Of Which Asserted Their Sovereignty Over Foreign Fruit Companies, But More Often Became Their Willing Accomplices. With Several Essays Focusing On The Operations Of The Extraordinarily Powerful United Fruit Company, The Collection Also Examines The Strategies And Reactions Of The American And European Corporations Seeking To Profit From The Sale Of Bananas Grown By People Of Different Cultures Working In Varied Agricultural And Economic Environments. [publisher Web Site]. The Global Banana Trade / Laura T. Raynolds -- Banana Cultures : Linking The Production And Consumption Of Export Bananas / John Soluri -- United Fruit Company In Latin America / Marcelo Bucheli -- One Hundred Years Of United Fruit Company Letters / Philippe Bourgois -- The Limits Of State Sovereignty : Colonial Administrators, Elites And The United Fruit Company In British Honduras / Mark Moberg -- The Logic Of The Enclave : United Fruit, Popular Struggle, And Capitalist Transformation In Ecuador / Steve Striffler -- The Macondo Of Guatemala : Banana Workers And National Revolutions In Tiquisate, 1944-1954 / Cindy Forster -- The Threat Of Blackness To The Mestizo Nation : Race And Ethnicity In The Honduran Banana Economy, 1920s And 1930s / Dario Euraque -- Discourses And Counter-discourses On Globalization And The St. Lucian Banana Industry / Karla Slocum -- The St. Vincent Banana Growers' Association, Contract Farming, And The Peasantry / Lawrence Grossman. Edited By Steve Striffler And Mark Moberg. Based On Papers Presented At A Panel Held At The 1998 Meetings Of The American Anthropological Association. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [335]-360) And Index. Bananas represent one of the most widely traded agricultural goods in the world with annual exports valued at roughly five billion dollars (FAO 2001).