Bananas are healthy, that is well known – the perfect fruit and a source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are considered a whole meal and are popular with young and old.
Bananas are also a problematic fruit though – precisely because of their popularity. Global demand leads to monoculture cultivation, optimised for mass, which can destroy entire ecosystems. This is accompanied by massive use of chemicals: the banana industry is a sector with high pesticide consumption. This has devastating consequences for the soil, groundwater, and biodiversity. Above all, the health of the workers on the plantations, who are sometimes exposed to the highly toxic chemicals without protection.
Find on this page why Demeter bananas are special and how our farms care for biodiversity, soil fertility and more. Scroll down to meet the farmers and find amazing banana recipes! Enjoy!
Demeter bananas mean biodiversity! These delicious yellow fruits are not the only thing growing on Demeter banana plantations – they also provide a home for thousands of living organisms in and above the ground. After all, Demeter farmers do not spray pesticides, choosing instead to ensure soil fertility in a natural way. They also dedicate at least 10 percent of their land to biodiversity.
Demeter’s sunny yellow bananas are a source of happiness! And not just because they are a tasty and nutritious snack for your body, mind and soul. They are grown by Demeter’s farmers with such dedication, with such responsibility for nature and the fertility of the soil, without using any artificial fertilizers or pesticides.
Demeter bananas are as healthy as the soil they grow in! And not just because they are able to thrive without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or chemicals – they grow in soil nurtured and lovingly tended with crop rotations, compost, cow manure and biodynamic preparations. This also helps keep the people working there healthy, along with thousands of organisms in and around the soil. This makes your snack taste twice as good!
Demeter bananas give you lots of power! And not just because they contain healthy carbohydrates to quickly regenerate your energy, keep your hunger pangs at bay for a long time and strengthen your muscles. The special, responsible growing methods used by Demeter’s farmers nurture the life force in plants and the soil they grow in, and that means an extra serving of energy, for both you and nature.
Demeter bananas conserve resources! And not just because the soil in which they grow is kept healthy and vibrant with compost, animal manure, green manure and intercropping. It also means less water is needed for irrigation, because the soil is able to absorb and retain water better. Demeter farmers are deeply committed to ensuring that nature remains healthy and fertile.
Demeter bananas are climate-friendly bananas! Not just because our bananas ripen into flavorful, pollutant-free and pesticide-free fruit on trees rooted in naturally fertilized soil. On Demeter farms, it is important to our farmers to cultivate fertile soil with a lot of humus, which binds CO2. And that is good for the climate.
Demeter bananas are cultivated holistically! On Demeter farms and plantations, the people, animals, plants and soil form a large, interconnected entity, guided by a deep understanding of nature. This entity integrates animal husbandry, biodiversity and a circular economy, aiming to cover its needs with its own production to the greatest extent possible.
Demeter bananas are different from all other bananas on the market, because they stand for more than “organic” can offer. They are grown according to the highest organic standards. They are not optimised to maximise profits and are consistently grown without artificial pesticides and pollutants. Furthermore, they are the product of the values of Demeter producers who think and act with love, strength, joy and freedom. Demeter practises a holistic agriculture.
The additional “na” in our “mission bananana” stands for this holistic approach. For Demeter, banana production represents a mission. A mission on behalf of our planet for more sustainability, climate protection and biodiversity. It is a commitment to humanity and partnership. It is a responsibility for health and respect for all life on earth. Those who choose Demeter products become part of a mission for a better future.
Demeter bananas come from biodynamic farms in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. More
On our biodynamic banana plantation we also grow high-value complementary crops such as coconuts, cocoa, legumes, papaya, soursop and cover soil plants. I also introduced bees and happy chicken to our plantation, along with several flowering plants. This helps me improve the health of my farming system and increase biodiversity and soil fertility. I produce wholesome fruits with the help of compost, bioferments, plant extracts and natural microorganisms instead of chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers.
Rámon Medrano, Banelino Banana Farm, Dominican Republic
Did you know that regular banana farming uses quite some plastic material? It needs plastic bags for the bunch, the bunch separator and nylon threads. This results in huge amounts of plastic waste. Some Demeter farms are successfully experimenting with paper material, such as the Dominique Farms “Granja” and “Campo Alegre” in Santa Marta in Colombia. Here, plastic free packaging reduces 120,4 kg per year and hectare. Additionally the farm absorbs CO2 and thereby reduces the net carbon footprint. Read more here or watch this short video.
Watch a longer version by clicking here.
Learn more about biodynamic farming at the farm Granja Fatima, biodynamic preparations, plastic-free farming and the collaboration with the indigenous community Arhuacas. It is fascinating!
Enjoy these amazing recipes with Demeter bananas and surprise your loved ones.
Ingredients for the pancakes:
2 bananas, very ripe • 180 ml buttermilk • 1 egg • 1 tablespoon cane sugar • 150 g spelt flour • ½ teaspoon baking powder • 5 g bourbon vanilla • 1 pinch salt • 60 g dark chocolate • 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil (such as sunflower seed oil or rapeseed oil)
Ingredients for the topping:
Maple syrup • Banana slices • Cocoa nibs
Directions:
1.) Put the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork. 2.) Add buttermilk, egg and cane sugar and mix with a stirring spoon. 3.) Now add spelt flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt to the bowl and mix until smooth. 4.) Coarsely chop dark chocolate with a knife and stir into the batter. 5.) Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. 6.) Add 1½ tablespoons of batter to the pan per pancake and cook each pancake for about 2-3 minutes on both sides. The batter will yield about 6 pancakes. 7) Stack the pancakes on a plate and garnish as desired with maple syrup, banana slices and cocoa nibs.
Ingredients for the banana bread:
3 bananas, very ripe • 100 g sour cream • 150 ml carbonated water • 90 ml neutral-tasting oil (such as sunflower seed oil or rapeseed oil) • 100 g cane sugar • 250 g wheat flour (pastry flour) • 50 g whole meal wheat flour • 1 package of baking powder
Ingredients for the cinnamon nuts:
60 g walnuts or pecans • 50 g cane sugar • 60 ml water • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat). 2.) Put the bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. 3.) Add the sour cream, carbonated water, oil and cane sugar and mix with a stirring spoon. 4.) Next, sift the wheat flour, whole meal wheat flour and baking powder into the bowl. 5.) Using a hand-held mixer or stirring spoon, mix to form a dough until no more lumps are visible. Be careful not to mix it for too long, or the banana bread will not be fluffy. 6.) Pour the batter into a loaf pan (25 cm) lined with baking paper. 7.) Bake the banana bread for 60 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. 8.) While the banana bread is baking, make the cinnamon nuts: Heat a small pan on medium-high heat. Coarsely crumble the nuts with your hands and roast them for 3 min. in the pan until they begin to smell aromatic. 9.) Add cane sugar, water and cinnamon to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. The cinnamon nuts are ready when the water has evaporated and the sugar is caramelized. 10.) Decorate the finished banana bread with the cinnamon nuts.
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