New project insights published: Progress report 2024

In 2024, the Project “Towards Living Wages in the Banana Sector” made important steps forward in promoting living wages and decent work across banana supply chains. Core project activities included deepening the work on responsible purchasing practices, expanding the scope of engagement with producers, and understanding the landscape of the banana sector in the additional project countries Colombia and Costa Rica. 

On a practical level, the Living Wage Piloting Programme was launched as a format to test mechanisms to reduce wage gaps, generating further learnings on wage data, verification, and responsible purchasing practices. At the same time, the Working Group laid the strategic groundwork for the systemic integration of sustainable sourcing practices within retailers’ sourcing models in collaboration with other European retailer initiatives.  

Capacity development remained another key focus in 2024. Trainings for workers and workers representatives provided support in increasing bargaining power, and engagement with producers and producer organisations increased awareness about labour rights and risk management.

Partnering with the World Banana Forum and facilitating exchange formats such as in-person stakeholder workshops highlighted the importance of inclusive engagement with all stakeholders including local governments and producer associations. Promoting a joint agenda setting remains a key success factor, especially when dealing with politically and economically sensitive topics like wages and social dialogue.

Looking ahead, the project will focus on a responsible transition towards standardizing processes, grounding results in producer countries, and engaging in strategic collaborations with international actors such as the International Labor Organisation (ILO).