Bananas: Emissions
A low-carbon fruit, even after an ocean voyage
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 0.86 t CO2e per t range 0.32-1.12 depending on method and boundary · cradle-to-retail global mean, GWP100 Global emissions per year 120 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 0.86 t CO2e/t x 139.4 Mt; an upper estimate because most bananas are eaten near where they grow (indicative)Per t of export bananas delivered to retail; cradle-to-retail. Intensity: Poore & Nemecek 2018 (Science), via Our World in Data (indicative); FAO World Banana Forum (range). Global total: derived from FAOSTAT 2024 and Poore & Nemecek 2018.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Extraction 18% Refining / processing 8% Movement 64% Usage 10%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | about 0.15 t CO2e/t (16-20% of total) | 18% | nitrogen fertiliser (24-49% of farm emissions), agrochemicals, aerial spraying | Farm emissions are low because bananas yield 40-57 t/ha on export plantations. | FAO World Banana Forum |
| Refining / processing | packing about 8% of total | 8% | cartons (the largest packing item), washing, plastic bags | FAO World Banana Forum (Dole figure) | |
| Movement | 62-67% of total, including refrigeration | 64% | reefer shipping, port storage, trucking | Maritime shipping is around half of total CO2. Reefer containers cut shipping footprint 33-42% against older reefer ships. | FAO World Banana Forum |
| Usage | ripening and retail about 10% of total | 10% | ethylene ripening rooms (75% of that energy), distribution centres | Retail waste is high for bananas as fruit over-ripens quickly. | FAO World Banana Forum |
| Recycling / end of life | not applicable as recycling | – | peels, rejected fruit, plastic bags and twine | Rejected fruit goes to feed, puree or compost; landfilled fruit emits methane. | indicative |
Other environmental impacts
Heavy fungicide use against black Sigatoka, aerial spraying near communities, plastic waste on plantations and water pollution. Single-variety Cavendish monoculture is vulnerable to Fusarium TR4.
Levers to cut emissions
- Move from reefer ships to reefer containers, cutting shipping footprint 33-42% (FAO World Banana Forum)
- Lower-carbon shipping fuels and slow steaming on the long Pacific and Atlantic routes
- Efficient nitrogen use, since fertiliser is 24-49% of farm emissions (FAO WBF)
- Cut retail and household waste of over-ripe fruit
India
India's 37.6 Mt crop is mostly eaten within the country and moved by truck to mandis, so it avoids the reefer shipping that makes up about two-thirds of the export banana footprint. Its 765 kt of exports in 2024 went mostly to the Gulf, a short sea route (UN Comtrade).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.