Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg has launched the "ONLY" awareness campaign to stop the mass use of pesticides and the violation of human rights.

According to the NGO, most bananas sold in Luxembourg jeopardise the very existence of producers. Indeed, many people earn wages well below the minimum wage. In addition, to maximise production in producing countries, highly hazardous pesticides are used despite their toxicity to workers and the environment.

The German ÖKO-TEST magazine tested 22 commercially available bananas on the presence of chemicals. The report revealed that all conventional bananas tested contain highly dangerous pesticides. Similarly, Oxfam and Peuples Solidaires - ActionAid France reported that working conditions in banana plantations are precarious and unacceptable and that employers deliberately refuse to inform their employees about their rights. In Ecuador, many workers have never even received a copy of their contract of employment, whilst female workers explained that they were fired because of their pregnancy and found themselves without social security

In response to these issues, the Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg  is launching a new outreach programme as part of its "Make Bananas Fair" campaign in order to put an end to this mass use of pesticides and the violation of human rights in the banana sector. This program, called ONLY, is for Luxembourgish partners who decide to offer their customers exclusively 100% Fairtrade certified bananas from organic farming.

The Sodexo group and the Luxembourg Pall Centre grocery stores were the first to make a total switch. Today, other actors such as the Alima supermarkets, the Restopolis catering service and the "Beim Lis" grocery store (Elisabeth group) have made the commitment to join the ONLY programme and thus contribute to the improved work and life of banana farmers in the South.

Moreover, since bananas are a popular fruit at sporting events, the Regional Tourist Office of the Moselle Region of Luxembourg, organiser of the "Randonnée sans frontières", has decided to refuel participants only with Fairtrade bananas from organic farming. Similarly, during the Route du vin semimarathon, the company Grosbusch, sponsor of the race, chose to participate in the ONLY programme. Other companies have set themselves the target of using 100% Fairtrade bananas in the near future and the Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg NGO will help to accompany them in this fair and organic transition.