The world's sixth-largest banana exporter focuses on social and ecological commitment  



At Fruit Logistica, Unibán also reaffirms its commitment to Europe, its most important market with 91 percent export share / More than 25 percent of bananas go to Germany
Berlin, 08.02.2024. Unibán, Colombia's leading banana exporter and the sixth largest in the world, is committed to social and environmental engagement. The company emphasizes this at the Fruit Logistica in Berlin, where it is exhibiting again this year. Among other things, Unibán supports social projects and has announced a record wage increase of 14 percent for almost 10,000 people. Unibán is also ecologically active. Overall, this is intended to create better living conditions for its employees and in the entire region.
Unibán ensures excellent working conditions for its employees and offers wages that are well above the legal minimum wage in Colombia. This engagement underscores the company's commitment to improving the quality of life of its employees and their families. The recently announced salary increase of 14 percent for the next four years will benefit around 10,000 direct and indirect employees.
Europe is Germany's largest trading partner – a large proportion of exports go to Germany
With its presence at Fruit Logistica, Unibán is once again reaffirming its commitment to Europe. The company, with its Turbana and Tropy brands, is the largest exporter of bananas from Colombia and the sixth largest in the world.
Manuel Laborde Barriga, the CEO of Unibán, underlines: “We export 32.2 million boxes of bananas annually to international markets. Of these, 91 percent go to Europe and 27.7 percent to Germany (25.2 percent in total). The import and marketing of the brands in Europe is the responsibility of the subsidiary TMA in Belgium.”
Living wages
Living wages are the fundamental basis of Unibán and a cornerstone of all business and corporate processes. Overall, the company aims to improve the quality of life in the communities in which it operates. To do this, Unibán creates models of social innovation that allow the joint construction of a more sustainable environment based on three pillars: communities and people, green planet and sustainable producers.
Under the "Communities and People" pillar, improvements are taking place on two axes. On the one hand, it is about transforming the environment and improving the quality of life in the region. To this end, Unibán supports projects in the areas of education, economic development, and municipal and productive infrastructure that have a positive impact on 285,000 people in the region. On the other hand, the well-being of direct and indirect employees is promoted. Among the measures here are living wages.
As part of its commitment to the environment, Unibán has planted over 120,000 trees in the last five years and is driving waste reduction through circular economy models. The company is also committed to protecting local water reservoirs.
Assortment of organic and fair trade bananas
The Colombian banana is Unibán's flagship product. It comes from the Gulf of Urabá, a region known for its natural wealth, its fertile soils and the highest quality. In addition, Unibán exports plantains and exotic plantains, as well as banana and cassava snacks under the Turbana brand.
Since 2011, Unibán's product portfolio has also included organic bananas, which come from farms in Magdalena and are mainly exported to Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Unibán holds the European Union's organic certification and currently has 238 hectares of organic banana plantations. In addition, the company has Fair Trade certification.
About Unibán
For over 50 years, Unibán has been a leading global Colombian agricultural and trading company, focusing mainly on bananas, plantains and exotic bananas. The company's core activities include agricultural production, logistics, marketing, field service and market development. The company assumes social responsibility and is committed to economic, social and environmental sustainability.