The Gesta Women
Fyffes has been working in Colombia with Uniban and Fundauniban to develop and support far-reaching programs that have multiple impacts on the local communities. One example is the recycling program run by the Gesta women.
Two hundred and fifty widows, victims of the 1990’s violence in the country, suddenly found themselves head of household - without any means of support. Many of them were illiterate, making finding a job in the area almost impossible.
On the nearby banana farms large plastic envelopes are used to wrap around the bananas as they grow, to protect them from wind damage and pests. It has always been a challenge to safely dispose of this plastic or to make any other use of it.
In 2000, Fundauniban helped form Gesta - an independent cooperation seeking solutions to social, economic and environmental problems. Now, heaps of harvested plastic strings are collected from the farm and then washed and dried for cutting and pelletizing. The end product is a plastic granule used as raw material for new farming supplies. By collecting discarded plastic bags and strings from the banana farms and reprocessing them into farming supplies, the Gesta women have created employment and education opportunities for themselves and their families, helped to keep 30,000 hectares of farmed land clear of plastic and improved its productivity.