Methodological guide to reduce carbon and water footprints in banana plantations

The World Banana Forum (WBF) publication developed a methodological guide to reduce water and carbon footprints in banana plantations worldwide. Members of the Working Group (WG) on Sustainable Production Systems and Environmental Impact acknowledged the contribution of banana production in the total global GHG emissions and the consumption of freshwater in the economic activity, both stressed in the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), having the agricultural sector a high mitigation potential. Therefore, the WG wishes to contribute to the global fight against climate change and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, developing practical tools to strengthen the efforts of the global banana industry to reduce its carbon and water footprint (CWF). Since banana farmers are struggling to adapt to climate change, the project aims to mainstream and support the adoption of best climate-smart practices and efficient water management in the banana value chain as part of the environmental strategy of organizations. Efforts to promote CWF reduction programs in the banana industry are still incipient and carried out mostly by multinationals, due in part to the implementation costs, the complexity of the topic for farmers, the lack of user-friendly tools to measure them efficiently, and that is still a B2B-driven strategy not yet recognized by consumers. Even though the need for supporting carbon and water footprint analysis (CWF) in the banana industry remains strong, there is still an apparent lack of sufficient financial incentives by both the governments and the global market.