Ecuadorian trade union ASTAC and its European partners ActionAid France, FIDH, ASTM Luxembourg and Baldon Avocats denounce the outrageous lack of human rights and environmental protections in the banana industry under the EU-Ecuador Trade Agreement. This action is taking place in a context of mobilisation by civil society and political leaders to hold multinational corporations accountable for the negative impacts of their activities throughout their supply chains.
Brussels, 24 September 2025 – Ecuador is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of bananas, with its exports accounting for 30% of the global banana market. Millions of tons of its bananas reach markets worldwide annually, with the EU being its main buyer. In 2017, Ecuador, together with Colombia and Peru, joined a Trade Agreement with the European Union, committing to guarantee and promote fundamental labour, human rights and environmental standards under the Agreement’s Chapter 9 on trade and sustainable Development.
The Ecuadorian industry trade union ASTAC (Agricultural Workers and Farmers Trade Union Association) has been working for over a decade to improve labour rights, health and safety for workers and communities, as well as to contain the negative impacts on the environment. Together with the European organisations ActionAid France, FIDH, ASTM-Luxembourg and Baldon Avocats, the union submitted a complaint to the European Commission, responsible for implementing the EU-Ecuador Trade Agreement, highlighting failures to protect human rights and the environment in the banana industry, in violation of the standards set out in Chapter 9.
"Workers in the banana industry in Ecuador continue to face very difficult working conditions: low wages, long working hours, lack of social protection... The lack of adequate regulation and supervision by the state has allowed these practices to continue without consequences for employers. This creates a cycle of poverty and vulnerability in which workers are trapped, even though we are talking about a sector that generates economic benefits," explained Jorge Acosta, Founder and Coordinator of ASTAC.
The complaint focuses in particular on the failure to respect freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the criminalisation of union members, the failure to respect labour law, the failure to respect environmental law, and the state’s inaction in response to pesticide poisoning affecting workers. At a time when human rights are increasingly under threat, it is essential to take into account the analyses and recommendations of those directly affected by abuses by companies and States, and to ensure that all mechanisms can be a real tool for protecting rights and the environment.
