Importance of Growing Pineapple Organically

While everyone is aware of the health benefits that come with eating organic foods, many are unaware that there are environmental benefits as well, and by purchasing organic food you could be making a larger impact on the environment than you know. For example, in Costa Rica, one of the main crops that is produced there is pineapple. While the fruit is responsible for much of the income in the country, the way in which it is grown is harming the country more than it is doing to support it. Specifically, the fruit is grown unorganically in large quantities. This is known as monocroping. Monocroping comes with many devastating effects on the environment. In order to provide space for the fruit to grow in these large quantities, deforestation must occur, putting many animal, living species, and plant lives at great risk. Not only do the pineapple plantations in Costa Rica pose many environmental dangers, but they also cause danger to the people who work for the plantations. It is a minimum wage job, in which people work in harsh conditions. Having witnessed one of these plantations personally, the temperature is extremely hot and dry, as a result of the pesticides used in order to grow these crops, as  well as the lack of trees and plants which provide shade. The overall benefits of purchasing organic pineapple include healthier eating, promoting change for a more sustainable environment and finally, protesting the harsh conditions in which people work to maintain these crops.