A lawsuit from February 2015 accuses Chiquita Bananas of not only using methods that contaminate local drinking water but also that they consciously hid it from the public. The firm Hagens Berman filed the lawsuit. Steve Berman, a partner of the firm, stated “Chiquita promised its customers it follows ‘strict standards’ of eco-friendly production including practices that ‘conserve wildlife habitats, national resources and promote community wellbeing,’ yet, its business practices have wreaked havoc on local communities where it grows and harvests its produce. Chiquita knew that consumers valued environmentally sound production methods and used its deceptive marketing to cover up its foul production methods.” This possible pollution of local drinking water could impact local loves greatly.

This is personally relevant to me because I have Chiquita bananas in my kitchen now. If I knew this company was potentially harming the environment, then I would have picked a different brand. We should always try to buy from companies that are doing their part in helping the environment. One easy way to accomplish this is to buy local.