Sunshine Restored: Our New Banana Chapter

Bananas have always been at the core of Tropical Wholefoods. In fact, our entire journey began with the banana farmers of Uganda. Their struggle to find fair, stable markets for their dried produce inspired the creation of Fruits of the Nile — a central hub where smallholder farmers could sell their dried fruits at guaranteed prices. From there, Tropical Wholefoods was born in the UK, serving as a bridge between Ugandan farmers and conscious consumers across Europe.

For more than two decades, our partnership with Fruits of the Nile was rooted in trust, friendship, and shared growth. It was through this collaboration that we discovered the magic of Uganda’s Ndizi apple bananas (also known as lady fingers), which became the star of our best-selling Chewy Banana Chips. And let’s not forget the iconic Bogoya Banana Chunks, made from the flavourful Gros Michel dessert variety. These weren’t just products — they were symbols of meaningful trade.

Then came 2020.

The global impact of COVID-19 was profound, but the lockdowns in Uganda were especially harsh. Farmers were unable to trade, and supply chains ground to a halt. Sadly, Fruits of the Nile — our founding partner and a beacon of ethical trade — was unable to recover and ceased operations. Losing our original supplier was a massive blow, both emotionally and practically. Two of our most loved products disappeared overnight. For a moment, we questioned: What is Tropical Wholefoods without Uganda?

The years that followed were a global search — a determined quest to find organic, ethical dried bananas that lived up to our high standards and our values. And it was hard. We explored various avenues but nothing quite worked out..

Until now.

In 2025, we finally found what we were looking for in the lush, mountainous north of Peru. Villa Andina, a sustainable dried fruit project working with over 5,000 smallholder farmers in Cajamarca, has become our new banana partner — and we couldn’t be more excited.

Their bananas are something special. Imagine the chewy satisfaction of banana chips blended with the rich, dark, toffee-like flavour reminiscent  of our beloved Bogoya chunks. It’s both nostalgic and new — and hands-down the best dried banana we’ve tasted since our Ugandan days. It’s brought a renewed sense of joy and purpose to our brand after five long years of uncertainty.

Villa Andina’s commitment to ethical sourcing is just as strong as the flavour of their fruit. They pay above-market prices for organic bananas and work directly with democratically-run cooperatives. Their dedication goes far beyond business — they provide technical support, organic certification training, and financial assistance, all while protecting the biodiversity of Peru.

As they put it:

“We get actively involved with the local community and work to know each of the farmers personally. This makes it possible for us to identify each plot or field that provides product to our processing plant. We offer free technical assistance, training in organic certification, financial support, and pay Fair Trade prices. All these factors contribute to improving the living conditions of the rural families.”

They also mill green banana into a fine powder as an additional sale stream for the producers. Tropical Wholefoods banana is lightly coated in the powder to make it free flowing creating a more efficient packing operation in the UK adding value along the full supply chain and a less sticky product in bag.

We couldn’t ask for a better partner to carry our mission forward, and we’re so excited for you to try our new dried banana snacks — packed with purpose, flavour, and sunshine.

From Uganda to Peru, the heart of Tropical Wholefoods beats on.

You can find our Tropical Wholefoods Chewy Banana at independent health food stores, and online at equalexchange.co.uk.

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