Go Bananas for G.R.O.W. Bananas!
If you’ve seen the Co-op out at a community event in the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve gotten free fruit from us. Whether at a YMCA event, the Parks Department’s Youth Art Festival, or at a Downtown parade, we love feeding you and your family healthy, organic fruit.
When given the choice between an apple, an orange, or a banana, 7 out of 10 Co-op kiddos end up reaching for a banana. And their parents? I’ve heard more than one adult say it’s the best banana they’ve ever had, and I can’t say I disagree. Beyond being tasty, Co-op bananas are not your average banana. Yes, of course, they’re organic, potassium-rich, and just straight delish, but that is only the beginning of what makes them so apeeling.
Thanks to a partnership between farmers and wholesalers, we are lucky to call the Co-op one of the homes for an amazing program that’s celebrating its 20th Anniversary! Allow us to (re)introduce you to a longtime vendor that we’re proud to support: G.R.O.W. Bananas.
The G.R.O.W. banana program, which stands for Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers, was founded by produce wholesaler Organics Unlimited back in 2005 as a way to go beyond fair trade and support organic small-scale banana farmers in a deeply meaningful way. G.R.O.W. was founded as a social responsibility program that helps provide educational support, clean drinking water, and milk for children, among other necessities, to the people who live and work in banana-growing regions, specifically Mexico and Ecuador.
Over the last 20 years, G.R.O.W. has returned over $3 million in investments back to its farmers through programs in six key and distinct areas: early education, higher education, student housing, health services, environmental justice, and disaster relief.
In 2024, G.R.O.W. was especially focused on education, healthcare, and the environment, which were identified as the most pressing needs of those banana-growing regions. Here are just a few of the amazing things G.R.O.W. accomplished last year, in those key areas:
Education
At the elementary school level, G.R.O.W. provided 45 scholarships, so those students could gain access to programming, incentives, and new opportunities that allowed them to develop a love of lifetime learning. A fun highlight of this program was a field trip to enjoy a Christmas Fiesta on the beach!
Through its Education Center, G.R.O.W. also ushered in a class of six new higher education graduates, who received assistance with everything from homework clubs to internet and computer access.
Healthcare
Because education and awareness are sometimes the best preventative medicine, G.R.O.W. educated over 9,000 children in preventative health and healthy habits. The program also provided bi-monthly healthy foods and drinks to five community centers in the area.
Environment
In partnership with the Environmental Health Coalition, G.R.O.W. made significant investments in two programs on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border. In San Diego, G.R.O.W. advocated for the transition of major pollutants like buses, trucks, and other cargo handling equipment to zero-emissions technologies. And over the border in Tijuana, G.R.O.W. funded an air monitoring campaign in an effort to build understanding about the pollutants that are affecting the community, with the goal of using the data to advocate for environmental justice.
So, next time you pluck a banana off the bunch for breakfast, urge your kiddo to pick it as their free fruit with their Co-op Banana Card, or grab one from us at an event, just know that not only are you making a healthy choice for yourself, you’re supporting a 20-year old initiative that is making a real impact in the banana-growing communities we rely on. And maybe that’s what makes G.R.O.W. bananas taste so dang good.