Problems

A study on plantations in the Philippines showed that workers were forced to work for 11 hours per day, including pregnant women. In many plantations in Costa Rica and the Philippines workers are under constant pressure to increase production. Accidents occur often. Proper gear is seldom provided for protection against the sharp barbs at the end of the pineapple leaves and the chemicals used on the plantations. There are numerous reported cases of big pineapple producing companies trying to prevent workers from organizing and joining unions. Legal minimum wages are circumvented by setting unrealistically high work targets. Contract workers are used, who are often paid on a piece rate basis and cannot engage in collective bargaining. Another issue is the intensive use of pesticides in the pineapple sector. These chemicals are released in the plantations but they also pollute the surrounding environment. Apart from deteriorating the soil and polluting ground water, pineapple companies have also been known for misplacing their waste. Studies show that there has been an overall loss of biodiversity in pineapple producing areas in Costa Rica and the Philippines, both because of the use of agro-chemicals and the huge land areas covered only with pineapples.