In Court

Side effects of banana: A legal battle between banana farmers and environmentalists has reached the Philippines Supreme Court. Residents from Davao city have filed a petition to uphold a March 2007 ban on aerial spraying of fungicide on banana plantations. The group claims the spraying has led to various health problems and poisoned the water table in areas adjoining the plantations, like contract growers for multinationals Dole and Del Monte. The Philippines is the largest banana exporter in Asia. Last year, the Philippines Banana Growers and Exporters Association sought a writ to stop the city government enforcing the ban.