The True Cost of a Pineapple

A pineapple plantation. Photo courtesy: portaloha.com

Pineapples: Luxury fruit at what price?

Pineapple is the latest bargain offer in supermarkets, but the true cost is paid in the countries where it is produced. Guardian special correspondent Felicity Lawrence investigates reports of environmental damage, union-busting and poverty wages in Costa Rica's fruit industry.

Watch this video in spanish.

I intend to give up eating pineapples in support of the peasants. I will also be sending emails to Dole and Del Monte asking for explanations; and, letting them know that I will be boycotting their products. To find out how to contact Dole, click here. To contact Del Monte, click here.

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Toxic Pesticide Used in Chinese Garlic Chive Production

A saucepan containing cooking garlic chive and soft tofu. Photo courtesy: Le Hoan Nha via theepochtimes

One of my absolutely most favourite vegetables. When cooked properly, they are delicious. Now, unfortunately, I find that garlic chives are being subjected to toxic pesticide spraying in China. So...if you love garlic chives as much as I do, find out where they were grown before eating.

Highly toxic pesticides are used at China’s largest garlic chives production base in northern China.

Changli County in Hebei Province is famous for its garlic chives. Most of the chives are sold to Beijing, Tianjing and Northeastern China. To increase yield and profits, almost all the farmers heavily spray the chives with banned pesticides.

Luo Fei, a farmer from Wangbeizhuang Village, told The Epoch Times that highly toxic and banned pesticides such as 3911 (phorate), 1605 (methyl parathion) and iron mike (aldicarb) are still available in the countryside, most likely produced by underground factories. 3911 is the most toxic pesticides; its residual toxicity can last for two years.

Luo said that pesticide-contaminated chives could cause nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea. If consumed in large quantity, it could be life threatening, causing cancer and blood diseases.

Zhang Zhi, another farmer, told The Epoch Times that their farms are called “Green Vegetable Planting Base,” but they are actually all polluted.

“Can it be called green? No. If it were green, the production would drop. We all count on it to make a good living,” Zhang said.

Zhang explained that in order to kill insects, they spray 3911 every eight or 10 days. All garlic chives farms do it that way, he said.

“I would suggest consumers not eat too many of these chives. Our local farmers don't eat these chives. We plant a little bit separately just for our own use,” Zhang said.

Another farmer said it’s all about money. Chives without pesticides look gray and yellowish, while the ones treated with pesticides are big, green, and strong, and can be sold for twice as much.

Mr. Yang from Zhongzhuozhuang Village said after spraying the pesticides, one is supposed to wait for a while before cutting the chives and putting them on the market. One should wait at least 10 days before consuming the chives, he said. But in order to make money faster, the chives are generally sold right after the insecticides have been applied.

Mr. Huang from Gengzhuang Village said that local farmers don't care about “green” products; they have all become rich by selling garlic chives and are living in big houses.

“They don't eat the contaminated chives themselves,” Huang said. “Don't they know they hurt consumers?” he asked.