In a tweet, Luc Hellebuyck referred to the new FAO Biannual report on Global Food Markets, where it says that Latin America and the Caribbean constitute the world’s most important exporting region for bananas and the four major tropical fruits –mangoes, pineapples, avocados and papayas– thereby playing a vital role in global fruit supply.
Abundantly endowed with land that features highly favourable agro-climatic conditions for the cultivation of tropical products, the region ranks as the second leading producer of bananas and tropical fruits globally, behind Asia. The most prolifically produced and traded fruits in the region in the following order are bananas, pineapples, mangoes, avocados and papayas.
On average, approximately 25 percent of total global banana and major tropical fruit production originates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an annual production volume of roughly 54 million tonnes between 2016 and 2018 (three-year average).
With a total combined annual per capita consumption of 55 kg of bananas and major tropical fruits, the region also ranks as one of the major consumers of these fruits globally.
More importantly, shipments of bananas and major tropical fruits from suppliers in Latin America and the Caribbean make up about 75 percent of world exports, with a total annual average volume of 25 million tonnes over the three-year period from 2016 to 2018. Of these, an estimated 80 percent are destined for developed country markets, primarily the United States of America and the European Union (EU). Estimates point to a total combined export value of around USD 11 billion for bananas and major tropical fruits from Latin America and the Caribbean.