Natural banana cultivation in Costa Rica

The bananas used by HiPP come from a fair HiPP project in Costa Rica, where approx. 1,000 small farmers in the autonomous province of Talamanka grow bananas for HiPP, not on plantations but directly in the jungle and without using any pesticides at all.

The original cultivation by the indigenous folk leaves the jungle in its natural condition and doesn’t need any artificially set out plantations. The plants stand on their own far away from the next one, so that the spreading of illness or fungal infection can be avoided by removing the one plant that is affected, and pesticides are never used. In this way, the natural environment for plants and animals is protected and preserved.

Under these conditions, the excellent old kind “Gros Michel” still grows here, which the large plantations can no longer cultivate. Gros Michel bananas are very fragrant and have the perfect sugar content for use in baby food.

For the last 20 years, HiPP has been sourcing bananas from Costa Rica from this natural conservation area in which two indigenous tribes live. HiPP has assumed a great social responsibility there by giving small farmers long-term contracts. This secure source of income is a big advantage for many family businesses. Particularly the women are the driving force behind the banana cultivation project, from which over 10,000 people in the region benefit directly or indirectly.