Meet Ever: ‘It’s getting much hotter… the temperature is really intense’
In Colombia, where Ever works on a banana plantation, rising temperatures have made working conditions more intense, while prolonged drought disrupts the delicate balance banana plants need to grow.
7 Questions with Ever:
Tell us about yourself, Ever?
“My name is Ever Antonio Flores Muñoz… I’ve been working here for 10 years… I work as an Environmental Monitor here on the farm.”
What does your work involve?
“Well, as an Environmental Monitor I’m always doing the rounds, checking the wild areas… and also the green ground cover… because the idea is to have an area fully covered with green vegetation.”
What matters most to you in your life?
“Well, I’ve got two daughters… and thanks to the job I have, I can provide them a better quality of life.”
How do you protect nature on your banana farm?
“We’ve created wildlife corridors for the animals… where they can roam across the entire farm… even to the neighbouring farms. We’ve also got a nature reserve… roughly between 20 and 25 hectares… and thanks to that reserve we’ve got various animals living there.
We’ve got a living water source… water springs emerge from that area… it depends on those 20–25 hectares of forest we’ve got up there… These trees have been here for years, protecting all of this.”
What changes have you seen in the climate?
“Well, the climate over the past 10 years has changed quite a lot… it’s getting much hotter… we have to take more breaks because of the temperature, it’s really intense.”
What worries you most about the future?
The biggest challenge we’re going to face is drought, because it’s going to affect all of us — our workers, colleagues — everything will be at great risk, and our wages will decrease .’
How is Fairtrade supporting you and your work?
“Thanks to Fairtrade… we’ve got that support that allows us to have areas for our animals… and they support us with the ecological farm project… I’ve seen losses in other places due to flooding and strong winds, and thank goodness we’ve got these 20 to 25 hectares [of protected forest] that protect us from those impacts — whether it’s wind or heat’
[Fairtrade] teaches us how to manage the waste… so it can be used again…. Since [the Sustainable Banana Programme] started, we’ve got plants with more vigour and larger bunches, which allows us to sustain our livelihoods.”
Farming on the frontline of climate change
In Colombia, where Ever works on a banana plantation, rising temperatures have made working conditions more intense, while prolonged drought disrupts the delicate balance banana plants need to grow. These changes affect far more than yields. Without enough moisture and oxygen in the soil, plants cannot develop properly, leading to smaller bunches, lower-quality fruit, and lost income. Across the region, extreme weather - including flooding, strong winds and heat - has already caused serious crop losses, showing how fragile banana production can be without protection. At the same time, these environmental pressures threaten the entire ecosystem surrounding the farms — from soil health to water availability — putting both livelihoods and local biodiversity at risk.
Protecting forest, water and livlihood with Fairtrade
At Grupo Agrosiete — a Fairtrade-certified banana producer employing 64 workers — a 20–25 hectare protected forest acts as a natural shield against heat, strong winds and flooding, while also sustaining biodiversity and protecting critical water sources. Wildlife corridors allow animals to move freely across the landscape, while green ground cover helps retain moisture, protect soil health and maintain the oxygen that banana plants depend on to grow. Alongside tree planting and ecological farming practices, these measures reduce climate risk while improving productivity. Fairtrade Premium also supports wider community resilience — funding education, healthcare and social programmes for workers and their families, helping ensure the benefits extend beyond the farm itself.
