The once lowly banana has become a symbol of political and commercial power and is accorded huge significance far beyond the actual product itself. Moreover, bananas remains one of the most popular fruits in the European Union (EU).
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 6, Number 2, May 2003

Although protectionist rules in some markets control the flow of banana imports, a freer market environment in the EU has recently spurred competition that, in turn, triggers lower prices and fuels consumer demand.
Consumption in the established freer US market is not significantly higher on a per capita basis than in some EU markets. However, further growth within Europe is likely to be dependent on the establishment of market segmentation and new uses for the product. Outside the EU, growth in banana demand in Eastern Europe and Russia has been considerable since the early 1990s, but will remain under extreme price pressures. Elsewhere, extensive domestic production ensures significant consumption levels in Brazil and Thailand. China's own production (more than double over the last decade) now almost equals that of Brazil, with its consumers exhibiting one of the fastest growing per capita uptakes.