{"id":241728,"date":"2024-05-01T01:36:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T23:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/what-is-the-supply-chain-act-to-us\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T14:56:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:56:26","slug":"what-is-the-supply-chain-act-to-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/what-is-the-supply-chain-act-to-us\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Supply Chain Act to us?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><em>Since 1989, we at Tropica Verde e.V. have been committed to the preservation of the rainforests in Costa Rica, to the reforestation of cleared areas, to planting campaigns, to species protection and biodiversity, to environmental education and support for the local population and their involvement in our projects - and we constantly inform our members, donors and interested parties about aspects of living and production conditions in Costa Rica that are relevant and important for our projects.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>The Supply Chain Act using the example of pineapples and bananas<span style=\"font-size: 15px; color: #575656; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', sans-serif; font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>On the one hand, Costa Rica is a country with breathtaking biodiversity, with many nature reserves, a high proportion of renewable energies such as hydropower, wind power and geothermal energy, a stable democratic system, a constitutional state with a developed civil society - but on the other hand, it also has very precarious living conditions on the outskirts of the cities, but especially in rural and remote areas, with rural exodus, high youth unemployment and disastrous agricultural monocultures for the cultivation of pineapples and bananas.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_image_0 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/aus-der-luft-Kopie.jpg\" width=\"770\" height=\"488\" class=\"wp-image-241683\" title=\"Pineapple monoculture from the air\" alt=\"Pineapple monoculture from the air\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>These sprawling monocultures are catastrophic,<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>because they are not only bulldozed on former pasture land, but bush and forest areas are also flattened,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>because they are repeatedly sprayed with liquid fertilizers and fungicides that are harmful to the environment and human health,<\/li>\n<li>because the toxins are now contaminating the groundwater and, as a result of tropical rainfall, streams, rivers and coastal waters,<\/li>\n<li>because they are absolutely hostile to the natural animal and plant world and<\/li>\n<li>therefore also damage all local nature conservation projects - including ours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>But what does this have to do with the Supply Chain Act?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Supply Chain Act attempts to make German importers responsible for ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions in the producing countries and along the entire supply chain. In our case, these are the five large food chains <strong>REWE, ALDI, LIDL, METRO and EDEKA<\/strong>, which have used their market power and competition with each other to ensure that we as consumers have been able to buy pineapples and bananas more cheaply than ever before over the last 15 years.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, however, the Big 5 have pushed down prices in Costa Rica to such an extent that cultivation is only worthwhile if ever larger quantities are produced and ever lower wages are paid.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_0 et_pb_gallery et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_gallery_grid et_pb_module preset--module--divi-gallery--default\" data-auto-rotate=\"off\" data-auto-rotate-speed=\"\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_items et_post_gallery clearfix et_grid_module\" data-per_page=\"3\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_item et_pb_grid_item et_pb_gallery_item_0_0\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_image landscape\" data-per_page=\"3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMGP6092-scaled.jpg\" title=\"IMGP6092\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMGP6092-400x284.jpg\" alt=\"Ananas-Monokultur im Norden Costa Ricas\" class=\"wp-image-241696\" title=\"\"><span class=\"et_overlay\" data-icon=\"\" data-icon-tablet=\"\" data-icon-phone=\"\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><h3 class=\"et_pb_gallery_title\">IMGP6092<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_item et_pb_grid_item et_pb_gallery_item_0_1\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_image landscape\" data-per_page=\"3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/sprueh-scaled.jpg\" title=\"spr\u00fch\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/sprueh-400x284.jpg\" alt=\"Ananasfelder werden bespr\u00fcht\" class=\"wp-image-241702\" title=\"\"><span class=\"et_overlay\" data-icon=\"\" data-icon-tablet=\"\" data-icon-phone=\"\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><h3 class=\"et_pb_gallery_title\">spr\u00fch<\/h3><p class=\"et_pb_gallery_caption\">Ananasfelder werden bespr\u00fcht<\/p><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_item et_pb_grid_item et_pb_gallery_item_0_2\"><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_image landscape\" data-per_page=\"3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMGP5967a-scaled.jpg\" title=\"IMGP5967a\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMGP5967a-400x284.jpg\" alt=\"Im S\u00fcden Costa Ricas gibt es viele Bananen-Plantagen\" class=\"wp-image-241693\" title=\"\"><span class=\"et_overlay\" data-icon=\"\" data-icon-tablet=\"\" data-icon-phone=\"\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><h3 class=\"et_pb_gallery_title\">IMGP5967a<\/h3><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_gallery_pagination\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_3 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_3 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_4 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><strong>OXFAM<\/strong> sharply criticized this exploitation in its supermarket check at the beginning of April 2022 and rated the Big 5 according to their respective positive or negative contribution. It is interesting to note that LIDL, ALDI and REWE have already made some progress in terms of transparency and pilot projects, but also that a Costa Rican pineapple supplier to EDEKA pays its workers just \u20ac4.50 a day, which is not enough to live on in Costa Rica - but perhaps in the border regions of Nicaragua and Panama, where most of the low-wage workers are hired on a seasonal basis.<\/p>\n<p>Because the basic problem remains: all our cheap imports give us consumers low prices and an incredible variety of products, but at the expense of producers, nature and the climate. It's not just tropical fruit or textiles, but a wide range of products that are pleasant and affordable for our lives, but at the same time make us dependent on international supply chains, such as oil, natural gas, coal, steel, industrial primary products, microchips and computers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_4 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_5 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>When it comes to the price problem, our importers always like to point to the market power of consumers, who do not have to buy the cheapest products and can control supply with their demand. This is only true to a limited extent if we consciously opt for sustainably produced (and regional) organic products. But the main responsibility still lies on the seller's side when, as in our example, the Big 5 undercut each other on price in order to increase their market share and entice us with their special offers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_5 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_1 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PSX_20240417_163748-scaled.jpg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1702\" class=\"wp-image-241686\" title=\"PSX_20240417_163748\" alt=\"Pineapples on special offer are expensive for people and the environment\" \/><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_5 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_6 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_6 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>While the cheapest banana at Lidl costs 1.09 euros per kilogram (Fairtrade), at Aldi S\u00fcd bananas are available for 0.99 euros per kilogram (Rainforest Alliance) and at Aldi Nord for 1.09 euros (Rainforest Alliance). Edeka is currently even undercutting the price at 0.88 euros per kilogram (Rainforest Alliance - Gut &amp; G\u00fcnstig). According to the company, this is a short-term promotion. At Rewe, a banana is available from 0.99 euros per kilogram (Rainforest Alliance). Banana prices on the German market are on average 30 percent lower than in Italy and France. No wonder, Germany is the motherland of discounting.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_6 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_7 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_7 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>What can we do as sensitized consumers?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Limit our consumption to the essentials,<\/li>\n<li>sustainable and conscious shopping,<\/li>\n<li>Avoid cheap offers,<\/li>\n<li>Support fair trade campaigns<\/li>\n<li>Support organizations that promote fair trade and sustainable consumption<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_8 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_2 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/WOLFGANG-2.avif\" width=\"400\" height=\"268\" class=\"wp-image-241690\" title=\"Volunteer Wolfgang Schmidt\" alt=\"Volunteer Wolfgang Schmidt\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_8 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\">Wolfgang Schmitt<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_7 et_pb_row et_block_row\" id=\"mitglied\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_9 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_5 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_code et_pb_code_0  et_pb_text_align_right et_pb_text_align_center-tablet\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_code_inner\" data-et-multi-view=\"{&quot;schema&quot;:{&quot;content&quot;:{&quot;desktop&quot;:&quot;&lt;span class=\\&quot;et-pb-icon\\&quot; style=\\&quot;color:#238da2; font-size:30px\\&quot;&gt;$&lt;\\\/span&gt;&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;:&quot;&lt;span class=&#039;et-pb-icon&#039; style=\\&quot;color:#238da2; font-size:41px\\&quot;&gt;=&lt;\\\/span&gt;&quot;,&quot;phone&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;target&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;hover_selector&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;et_pb_code&quot;}\" data-et-multi-view-load-tablet-hidden=\"true\" data-et-multi-view-load-phone-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"et-pb-icon\" style=\"color:#238da2; font-size:30px\">$<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_10 et_pb_column et_pb_column_3_5 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_9 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>BECOME A MEMBER<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"serif\">Nature, environmental and climate protection need a lobby now more than ever. With your membership you give us your voice for our work. The more members we represent, the stronger our standing vis-\u00e0-vis politics and business.  <\/h3>\n<p>As a member of Tropica Verde you have many opportunities. You can get actively involved in the association's work, volunteer at events and exchange ideas with like-minded people on topics such as rainforest protection, climate protection, environmental education and more. Or you can simply support our projects regularly with your membership fee and help to preserve the rainforest in Costa Rica in the long term. By becoming a member of Tropica Verde, you are promoting sustainable climate protection and helping us to continuously develop and expand conservation projects.   <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_0_wrapper preset--module--divi-button--70b994c3-2b68-43f9-baa1-aee328fdc428_wrapper\"><a class=\"et_pb_button_0 et_pb_button et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module button preset--module--divi-button--70b994c3-2b68-43f9-baa1-aee328fdc428\" href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/support-and-donate\/membership\/\">BECOME A MEMBER NOW<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_11 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_5 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supply Chain Act attempts to make German importers responsible for ensuring fair wages and working conditions. Find out what all this has to do with Costa Rica in this article. Read now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":241684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[236,246],"tags":[152,297,296,295,171,403],"class_list":["post-241728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sdg-12-en","category-knowledge-animals-plants","tag-costa-rica-en","tag-environmental-protection","tag-monoculture","tag-pineapple","tag-rainforest-protection","tag-regenwaldschutz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241728"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252217,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241728\/revisions\/252217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}