With a lot of help from our friends

Ever tried selling a few thousand bananas out the back of your mum’s car? It wasn’t part of our business plan either, but you do what you have to do when things get desperate. Here’s a bit of our story and that of the amazing people who helped get our banana mowvement started . . .

In February 2010, the growers of the El Guabo Association of Small Banana Farms put two 40 foot containers onto the water for Auckland. Our growers were making a big bet on the three of us, and we were making a big bet that Kiwi’s would choose to pay a little more for a better banana. Because we did not have any retailers willing to commit to stock our bananas! The shipping distance from Ecuador to Aotearoa is about 14,000 kms (about 4 weeks) – not a lot of time to gather a serious fan base.

Specialist foodies in New Zealand were keen, but we needed the supermarkets. Bananas are one of the top three biggest sellers. But New Zealanders didn’t know where their bananas came from, or what Fairtrade was. So those first six months were tough. We sold bananas out of the back of Matt’s Mum’s car. Some shops said they’d take as many as we could fit in it, just to see us do it.

We had faith that Kiwis wanted an ethical banana, and great tasting fruit. Groups like Tear Fund, Oxfam and Trade Aid got behind what we were doing. Oxfam rallied an amazing group of Fairtrade groupies who stood alongside us in shops and talked up why these bananas were different. We told everyone about our growers, and what we could do with and for these communities. It took time, but we got rolling.

It turns out, that when you stand for something, you can Stand Out!

When we think about our customers, we honestly get a bit of a glow. You’re not just “shoppers” to us—you’re family, teammates, and a huge part of this movement. Every time someone chooses All Good Bananas, they’re basically high-fiving a better world. We never forget our amazing shoppers who go the extra mile to make ethical, sustainable choices the norm.

Foodstuffs has been an absolute rockstar in helping Kiwis eat better and buy better. We love being in the trenches with them! They backed us from day one, and without that kind of pioneering faith, we never could’ve made such a massive impact for the growers of El Guabo.

In 2019, we were lucky enough to travel to El Guabo with Brigit Corson and Phil Whitehead from Foodstuffs. They saw the good that selling All Good Bananas in their supermarkets does. It was a very special journey, another way of connecting good people and good produce.

We’ve also had massive support from the crews at Moore Wilson’s, Farro, Commonsense, and a whole lineup of high street heroes in fruit and veggie shops nationwide. They took a chance on us and gave their customers the power of choice. We’re beyond grateful and can’t wait to keep doing more good together.

Plus, we’ve got some heavy hitters in our corner from Oxfam, Fairtrade, the Sustainable Business Network, EnviroSchools, the Salvation Army, universities, and the media. We’re stoked they’re with us! Together, we’re making sustainability as Kiwi as running around in jandals.

At its heart, All Good is all about “being in good company.” We’re really just a group of people trying to do the right thing, and relationships are our bread and butter. Whether it’s our staff, growers, shippers, or partners, every connection is vital to the change we want to see.

In 2015, when we wanted to get our bananas to even more people, we knew exactly who to call. Our exclusive partnership with T&G Fresh gave us the perfect boost.

We’re very lucky to work with one of Aotearoa’s best loved and best equipped growers, marketers, and distributors. They have the national transport network, as well as the strategic ripening and market locations that make it all possible.

Every partnership has its non-negotiables. At All Good, we’re more “choosy” than demanding, but we’ll never budge on the “people and planet” stuff. Luckily, T&G Fresh and our customers are right there with us.

Together, we launched one of the world’s first Fairtrade bananas with its carbon footprint printed right on it! It’s a total team effort, from the growers in Ecuador to our shipping mates at Agrofair and our partners at T&G Fresh. Now, we’ve even pioneered fully recyclable paper tape for our bananas.

It’s just a taste of what’s to come.