In February this year, Western Australia’s Sweeter Banana Cooperative put out a simple call to action: buy all the local bananas you can. Perfect tropical conditions and a COVID-19 lockdown in Perth (coming right at the end of the summer school holidays) had led to an oversupply of the fruit. Though prices were low, growers were adamant no bananas would go to waste. 

The Co-Operative’s business manager, and ABGC board director, Doriana Mangili explained that they needed to double their regular customer base. “We needed to increase the number of Western Australians families purchasing our fruit from 45,000 to 90,000 – resulting in one in five people eating a Sweeter banana,” she said. 

The Co-Operative appeared on television and radio, and spread the message through social media, calling on banana-lovers to get creative. “We asked people who normally buy one bag to simply buy two – pop them in the freezer, use them for smoothies and get baking.” 

Not only was there more fruit, but the growing conditions had made them bigger and brighter than usual too. 

The response was phenomenal, with Ms Mangili delighted that they were able to shift their produce. “Our wonderful customers threw their support behind us – there were certainly plenty of banana lovers enjoying some extra snacks in the weeks that followed!