Agriculture Chiquita chooses Sicily for first Italian banana plantation
The major corporation Chiquita is starting to grow bananas in Italy for the first time. This is due to the ongoing tropicalization of the climate.
06.10.2025, 17:29
SDA
The first phase of the project begins with the planting of 20,000 organic banana trees in Sicily, which are expected to bring the first Italian bananas to the market from 2026. Until now, banana trees were only known as ornamental plants in Italy.
"This project is a double opportunity for Chiquita," commented Costabile Romano, Sales Director of Chiquita in Italy, according to media reports. "On the one hand, we can strengthen our close relationship with Italian consumers, who pay great attention to the origin of their products. On the other hand, we promote local production by embedding it in an international context."
The banana as an 'Italian product' is more than just a label: "Anyone who chooses this product should immediately recognize the connection between a globally trusted brand and Italian agricultural quality," explained Romano.
The new project also represents an important step in the further development of relations between the Swiss-American multinational and Italy. "We are strengthening our local presence and promoting the Italian production chain at the same time," said Romano.
Tropicalization allows cultivation of mangoes and papayas
The tropicalization of the climate - i.e. the shift towards warmer, more humid and tropical conditions in formerly temperate zones - is having an increasingly tangible impact in Italy. The south of the country in particular, including Sicily, Calabria and parts of Apulia, is experiencing climatic changes that are enabling the cultivation of originally tropical fruits.
In recent years, the following tropical and subtropical crops have become established in Italy: the production of avocados, mangoes, papayas and passion fruit.
