Chiquita Brands Inc., is reportedly pursuing an "environmental" approach in its quest for market share in the European Union. Cincinnati-based Chiquita is using its Rainforest Alliance "Eco OK" certification as a marketing tool to position its products for greater acceptance on the European market. Chiquita received the certification -- based on limited use of pesticides, proper chemical-use training for its workers and a plastics recycling program --- in 1995. This past year, Chiquita began pushing its product in Europe as the "better banana," produced in environmentally friendly Costa Rican fields. Attuned to European consumer's higher sensitivity to food-related environmental issues, Chiquita's "Marketers in Europe felt they needed to have environmental certification," according to a Chiquita spokesperson\.

Another reason Chiquita may be pursuing its eco-label approach is to counter any "green" trade barriers the European Union may try to impose in an effort to support banana imports from African, Caribbean and Pacific nations. Reports say efforts are underway in Europe to set aside a quota for organically grown bananas: The EU has granted the Dutch firm Max Havelar licensing set-asides for Havelar-certified organic banana from African and Caribbean countries. The EU recently issued an appeal against a WTO ruling that its banana import regime, giving preferential treatment to bananas imported from ACP developing countries, violates international trade agreements. The U.S. brought the case against the EU to the WTO on behalf of Chiquita.