United Fruit Co.

United Fruit Co.

Historic U.S.-based produce company that became Chiquita Brands International, Inc., in 1990. It was founded in 1899 when the Boston Fruit Co. merged with other companies selling bananas grown in Central America, Colombia, and the Caribbean. Minor C. Keith, its principal founder, gained extensive land rights in Costa Rica in return for constructing railroads. United Fruit became the largest employer in Central America, developing vast tracts of jungle lands and building one of the largest private merchant navies in the world. Its exploitation of corrupt Central American politicians dependent on income from the banana business led to the term banana republic. Attacked in the Latin American press as el pulpo (“the octopus”), the company was widely accused of exploiting workers and influencing governments during the era of “dollar diplomacy” in the early to mid-20th century. United Fruit later transferred portions of its landholdings to individual growers. “Miss Chiquita,” its well-known trademark, was introduced in 1944. The familiar blue Chiquita stickers were first applied to the company's bananas in 1963. In 1970 United Fruit merged with AMK Corp. to form United Brands Co., which took the Chiquita name in 1990. In the early 21st century the company concentrated its efforts on produce, notably bananas and packaged salads.