Since the nineteenth century, certain crops have been raised in Central America as export crops and others principally for domestic consumption. Many of the traditional crops grown are not native to the region. Many of the most widely grown crops are termed exotics, that is, plants not native to the region that were introduced by European settlers. Bananas, coffee, and sugarcane are three principal exotic crops, with corn being a fourth. Most of the production of introduced plants is grown for export, although native corn is for local use.
Bananas are grown extensively in the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands but most prominently in the Sula Valley of Honduras, a leading world exporter of this crop. The banana industry flourished under the control of North American growers, especially the United Fruit Company. In the later part of the nineteenth century, the banana export business grew and enjoyed large markets in the United States and Europe. The United Fruit Company also exerted strong influence over governmental policies in the region.
Coffee is grown extensively in the highland areas of all seven Central American countries. A slow-ripening crop, coffee requires as much as two months to harvest. Small-scale growers who sell their product through cooperatives produce much of the area's coffee. The best-quality coffee is shade-grown, and so banana trees often are planted throughout the small fields.
Sugarcane, first introduced by Christopher Columbus to the island of Cuba, is another plant grown throughout a wide area. Sugarcane is labor-intensive during harvest but requires little attention at other times. The harvest of sugarcane begins with the burning of the fields. This practice reduces the volume of foliage and leaves only the stalks, or canes, which are the source of sugar. After the burning which has the side benefit of chasing out the snakes that inhabit the cane fields teams of workers with machetes march through the fields cutting the cane.
Corn (maize) is not grown for export. Along with regionally grown rice, it is for domestic consumption. Corn meal is used in the preparation of tortillas, which are eaten at nearly every meal. Rice is commonly served with red or black beans.
Export crops have varied in their economic value to the region. A banana disease nearly ruined the industry in the 1930's. The Great Depression in those same years sharply reduced exports to North America. Import quotas imposed by the United States on sugar and the U.S. trade embargo on all Cuban products imposed in the early 1960's provided both a low and a high for Central American sugar producers. Overproduction of coffee by South American producers has led to depressed prices several times. During the late 1990's, the European Union's agricultural import practice of favoring former colonies reduced the value of bananas to growers. In Central America, only Belize (formerly British Honduras) benefits from European tariff regulations.
Nontraditional Crops
Vegetables, high value crops, and ornamental plants and flowers are being grown at an increased rate. The leading crops are broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, melons, strawberries, and pineapples. Palm oil from a normative tree is another high-value farm product. Nontraditional crops are labor intensive and affect the environment because of the heavy requirements for chemical pesticides. Workers face health risks due to these chemical applications, but employment is high. In Costa Rica, the government encourages investment in reforestation using teak from Southeast Asia.
See also: NORTH AMERICAN AGRICULTURE
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