United Fruit Company
The United Fruit Company began in 1899 with the merger of the Boston Fruit Company and an international railroad company with inroads into Central America. This merger allowed the UFC to monopolize trade from the Latin world to the States. UFC also convinced governments to hand over banana land for “safe distribution” to private farmers.
In its 71-year-history, the Company was implicated in governmental overthrows, most notably in Honduras where the coup allowed them tax breaks. In Guatamala, the UFC supported much infrastructure (schools for workers) and prevented much road development.
In 1970, the United Fruit Company merged with the AMK Corporation, a meat distributor, where the banana sector was eventually named Chiquita