Protection of the Biodiversity in the Cultivation of Bananas and Pineapples
About 40 % of the planet's surface is used for agricultural purposes. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, agriculture is responsible for 70 % of biodiversity loss, a situation that mainly affects developing countries, where 72 % of species of flora and fauna are endangered due to agriculture. The degradation of ecosystems and the consequent loss of habitat for many animals, plants and micro-organisms are especially dramatic in regions where agricultural crops are sown in monoculture production systems. Monocultures of pineapple and banana can negatively influence climate and biodiversity. This management can degrade ecosystems, contribute to soil erosion, affect the availability of water sources, and contaminate water and air.
Both crops are in high demand in the European Union (EU), particularly in Germany. Among the largest exporters to the EU market in 2015 were Costa Rica (940,000 tonnes) and the Dominican Republic (330,000 tonnes). The three most important importing countries were Belgium, the United Kingdom and thirdly Germany (698,000 tonnes).
Banana and pineapple are Costa Rica's main agricultural exports; together, they occupy almost 90,000 hectares of the territory. In the Dominican Republic, about 49% of the country's 48,000 square kilometre area is used for agricultural purposes. Compatibility between highly productive agriculture and biodiversity conservation is possible and indispensable to ensure, on the one hand, a secure food supply and, on the other, the protection of the diversity of ecosystems and species.