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We're always on alert for banana headlines, mostly to respond by explaining why it’s good to choose our Fairtrade and organically grown ones, but news about bananas being weaponised in supermarket aisles has taken us to DEFCON 1.

During a different nationwide alert level 4, a shopper broke a Dunedin supermarket’s Covid-19 rules and smacked a staff member with a banana.

Meanwhile, in Wellington, a man who found prices unappealing went bananas and was charged for assault with a bunch of them. 

Wellington District Court judge Tim Black said: “It's the first time I've seen an assault with a weapon being a bunch of bananas”.

We can’t stand by doing nothing. 

All Good supply Fairtrade and organic bananas to a nation of banana lovers, each of us eat more than 18kgs a year. We have a duty to stop the violence before it peels out of control.

Bananas don’t hurt people; people do.

Let’s be kinder with bananas. 

Buy a bunch of All Good Bananas.

And, while you’re at it we’ll keep on keeping our promise to bring you bananas that are kind to the growers, kind to the land and kind to you.

Good for the growers

As well as providing economic independence for the El Guabo Association of Small Banana Farmers, every All Good Banana educates grower’s kids in El Guabo, Ecuador.

Fairtrade premiums from the sale of our All Good Bananas support over 30 schools in the region as well as supporting:

  • The building of classrooms

  • Infrastructure including fences and gates to keep

  • children safe from nearby roads.

  • Construction of toilets.

  • 1260 school bags for all children of growers and

  • workers in El Guabo are provided each year.

  • Stationery, books and financial support for enrolling in schools is provided to 1200 children every year

  • Construction of playgrounds - it is typical for children in Ecuadorian rural communities to have no playgrounds at their schools.

  • The construction of a full service medical centre providing health checks,emergency response and pharmaceutical support

  • Employment of a nurse and two doctors

  • All growers and their families receiving free eye exams and prescription 

  • Women at risk of physical and sexual abuse

  • A range of initiatives to support equality and women entrepreneurs 

  • A rehabilitation Centre for for physical disabilities, including a special disabilities therapist

  • Providing clean drinking water for schools and villages.

Good for the land

Our bananas are grown on small family farms using organic fertiliser and eliminating the overuse of toxic pesticides, herbicides and other industrial chemicals that threaten biodiversity.

This protects waterways, wildlife and plant life which, in tropical regions like the foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes, is critical to rewilding our planet and restoring biodiversity.

We’ve started a programme to zero the carbon used in transportation with a commitment to planting 100,000 trees in the region and are developing ways to make our entire supply chain net carbon zero.

Fairtrade premiums from the sale of our All Good Bananas supports:

  • Recycling all plastics in banana plantations; investing in two plasticcollection centres to store and recycle the soft and hard plastics used on the plantations to protect immature bananas from insects

  • The recycled plastics are made into corner boards and boxes.

  • Reducing the use of chemicals: El Guabo has built one of the most innovative and effective bio-fermentary plants to avoid the use of chemical fertilisers on its plantations

  • Reducing the water footprint; helped farms reduce the volume of irrigation from water wells, and reducing water use in the packing stations

  • Reducing the carbon footprint: El Guabo has committed to planting 100,000 treesin permanent forests in the El Oro region of Ecuador. This is a huge commitment to reforest areas outside El Guabo’s land to benefit the community, reduce erosion, benefit biodiversity and provide a positive impact on climate change

  • Reducing food waste: a lot of bananas aren’t suitable for export, so El Guabo ensures these do not go to waste by collecting them as ingredients for juices, smoothies and purees, including those used in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Good for you

Packaged in their own skins and packed with potassium, amino acids and other vitamins your body can’t produce, bananas are the perfect snack. They’re not processed, they’re full of energy and because they contain the amino acid tryptophan they help your body regulate niacin (AKA vitamin B3) and serotonin which makes you happy.You can feel ‘good’ knowing that by purchasing All Good Bananas, you are empowering the growers of El Guabo.We also have the All Good School Pack. This is a free resource available to parents and teachers. The pack includes fun and engaging ways to teach primary school children about the All Good story and takes them through the supply chain from source to stores.

Good for your best self

We know it’s hard to be your best when COVID-19 forces you to stay home, wait in line and wear a mask so no one can see you smile. 

In or out of lockdown, keeping cool in the supermarket is tricky. 

When only ‘one person per bubble’ can enter and you’re slipping and sliding around the aisles keeping socially distant while reaching for the mustard and trying to remember the mental list you made before you were distracted by… we’ll it’s a whole new level of trolley rage.

So, if you’re close to breaking point, we’d like to offer a helping banana.

Here are some suggestions on coping with COVID rage from our All Good followers.

I go when I have lots of time so there is no need to rush. Then I can happily wait, let others go first to keep a safe distance and keep everyone safe. — colleen_birch

I do an online shop for pick up, wait patiently in line with everyone else to get in, and equally as patiently wait for the superstar staff to go grab my order. It's over super quick and keeps the anxiety at bay! And say a nice THANK YOU real loud through the mask since smiling is a bit hard! — mattimeo_makes

I focus on looking for the best ingredients that are good for the planet and for my family! When I focus on the ingredients I find myself being calm and happy. —g_raceivy

I have a list, go weekly and allocate twice as long as a pre COVID shop time to complete my weekly grocery shop. — summerose38

I have to say. I haven't experienced aisle rage. I love to go to the supermarket alone, crank my music in my headphones. Supermarket shopping is often quality time with myself and i just block out what is going on around me. As long as I have music I am fine. I do however only buy all good bananas and our family loves them! —hannahandnic

I take a deep breath and remember that most other people don't want to be at the supermarket either, and that the staff are doing a great job. We are all dealing with a strange and unsettling time. —kathsprout

Go in with your headphones with some chill tunes. —Brianna_simmons

I wear a mask and keep my distance as much as possible.. Which is often tricky as many people don't seem to keep in mind the need to take care.. So i breathe deep and repeat a simple prayer inside my head to keep me focused on my list so i can zoom around as fast as possible. And I keep a smile for the checkout person, keeping safe behind the perspex. —jennijeannie