B-A-N-A-N-A-S

John Soluri in Banana Culutres gives an expansive account of the effects banana production had on the lives and people of Honduras. In much the same way as other authors have done Soluri analyses both the technicalities of production and their effect on Honduras and the culture behind US demand for bananas. As American consumption of tropical goods exploded in the late nineteenth century, US companies and Honduran politicians sought to expand production for their own benefit. What follows is the story of how the alignment of these interests ended up changing Honduras. As the banana platain spread from the bay islands to the mainland tens of thousands of hectares were cleared in a process that destroyed the biodivesity of the region leaving it open to pathogenic invaders. In these sections Soluri does a good job of providing multiple perpectives so that the reader is treated to the machinations of politicans and Railroad barons as well as the conditions on the ground. What I found striking overall is the diviergence between Honduras and the US during this period. Soluri depicts the banana culture of the US as about fun and entertainment, while the banana culture in Honduras is increasingly defined by work, disease, and control. This reflects the dual developments a commodity can have on different ends of the chain. Mintz remains the best example of this, but Soluri gave us more perspectives.