Peter Stedman

In the late 1800’s a boat captain bought bunches of bananas in Jamaica and sold them two weeks later in New Jersey. The United Fruit Company was born, and so was an industry with a long legacy of exploiting farmers in Latin America.

Fast forward to today and the company’s modern iteration, Chiquita, is very different. Under new ownership and facing the very real impacts of a changing climate, the company is developing new bananas from old genetics and engaging farmers and artists to build the company and the brand.

I sat down with Peter Stedman, Chiquita’s Sustainability Director, to understand his journey from coffee and tea in Africa to bananas in Latin America and the biggest differences about working in those regions (hint: poverty), as well as a little more of what’s behind the ubiquitous blue sticker and what lies ahead for the company.