Prices and sustainability costs
Producers at FAO's World Banana Forum say prices do not cover the cost of sustainability. Margins for African exporters remain under pressure.
Banana
Côte d'Ivoire is Africa's largest exporter of dessert bananas, on a demanding European market. Sankora helps growers and exporters measure their costs and wages, simplify their audits and protect their banana farms.
Banana
An export fruit and a staple food
Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana supply most of the dessert bananas exported from Africa. According to FAO, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon accounted for nearly 68% of African exports in 2025.
The European Union is the main market: France usually takes 50 to 60% of Ivorian volumes. Banana plantations employ a large workforce in rural areas.
In East Africa, bananas are first and foremost a food crop. The highland cooking banana is the most important crop in the Great Lakes region.
1stAfrican exporter of dessert bananas: Côte d'IvoireSource: FAO, Banana Market Review, preliminary results 2024
≈ 68%of African exports come from Côte d'Ivoire and CameroonSource: Ecofin Agency, African banana exports 2025 (FAO)
50 to 60%of Ivorian bananas are shipped to FranceSource: FAO, Banana Market Review, preliminary results 2024
Where it is grown in Africa
Banana countries in Africa
Three countries dominate dessert banana exports to Europe. In East Africa, production mainly serves local consumption.
Côte d'IvoireAfrica's largest dessert banana exporter.
CameroonAfrica's second exporter, held back by insecurity.
GhanaThird exporter, fastest growth in 2025.
UgandaCooking bananas, a staple food of the Great Lakes region.
TanzaniaMajor food production in the north and west.
The value chain's challenges
What weighs on African bananas
Living wage
A living wage for plantation workers is central to discussions with European retailers. It requires reliable data on production and costs.
Overlapping certifications
A single plantation may have to meet several standards at once. Audits overlap and add to costs.
Fusarium TR4
Fusarium TR4 threatens banana farms worldwide and is closely monitored. Late detection can condemn a plot for years.
Pesticide residues
Exceeding the maximum residue limits set by the EU can get a lot rejected. Every treatment must be recorded and the pre-harvest interval respected.
Origin requirements
European retailers want to know which plantations each container comes from and check that they do not encroach on protected areas.
What markets require
Flawless visual quality, compliance with pesticide residue limits, certifications (GlobalG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade), living wage commitments and on-time deliveries for large retailers.
How Sankora helps you
How Sankora can help improve the banana value chain
Technology does not solve everything. Here is what Sankora can practically put in place in this value chain, with simple, reliable tools, to know the field better, track actions and prove results.
Gather evidence for audits
Farmers, plots, trainings and inspections sit in one register. The evidence each certification asks for is found without re-entering everything.
Trace every shipment back to the plot
Each harvest is linked to the farmer's plot, each shipment to its lots and containers: origin can be proven all the way to the customer.
Report and follow disease outbreaks
Technicians report symptoms and their location from the field. Plots to watch appear on the map and the measures taken are followed up.