Japan – Bananas have become one of the most accessible nutritious fruits in Japan surpassing apples and citruses. Roughly 80 per cent of bananas that come to Japan are those from the Philippines, and hidden beneath the skin are the grim realities of Danilo and the sufferings of Datu Celis Haus and his people.
While a research conducted by Fair Finance Asia contributors in Japan have found that major retail stores chains such as those managed by AEON CO., LTD., SEVEN & i Holdings, FamilyMart UNY Holdings, Life Corporation each declare some form of supply chain management policies. None have been able to definitively and categorically deny their relation with these problematic banana production practices also identified by the research.
The research also found that Japanese banks which invest and offer financial services to these major retail chains do not have any publicly declared means to punish or reward supply chain monitoring practices by theses corporate clients. Due partly to this lack of accountability mechanism, the research finds evidence of millions of Yen being loaned and invested in these major brands.
We have now a situation where our food systems are increasing globally interconnected, the financial system is also firmly interconnected, but whereby regulatory or monitoring capacities have not caught up. The sufferings involved with the banana productions are clear. That Japanese companies are supplying from these production sites has also been made clear. That Japanese banks are complicit in the financing of the production/distribution is also clear. It should also be clear as to what consumers and bank clients should demand our stores and banks.
We will not be complicit anymore in these sufferings.