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| predecessor = [[United Fruit Company|United Brands]]
| foundation = <!--{{start date|df=yes|1899|03|30}} (as the United Fruit Company)<br />-->August 1984 (as Chiquita Brands International)
| location = [[Étoy, Switzerland]]
}}
[[File:Carlos López Flores Chiquita.jpg|thumb|Carlos López Flores, president of Chiquita]]
'''Chiquita Brands International [[Société à responsabilité limitée|S.à.r.l.]]''' ({{IPAc-en|tʃ|ɪ|ˈ|k|iː|t|ə}}), formerly known as '''[[United Fruit Company|United Fruit Co.]]''', is a Swiss-domiciled American producer and distributor of [[banana]]s and other [[produce]]. The company operates under [[subsidiary]] [[brand name]]s, including the flagship '''Chiquita''' brand and Fresh Express salads. Chiquita is the leading distributor of bananas in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Problem With Banans {{!}} Environmental & Social Issues in the Trade |url=https://www.bananalink.org.uk/the-problem-with-bananas/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Banana Link |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>[https://www.fao.org/4/i3746e/i3746e.pdf "The Changing Role of Multinational Companies in the Global Banana Trade"]. ''FAO''. Rome. 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2024.</ref>
Chiquita is the successor to the [[United Fruit Company]]. It was formerly controlled by American businessman [[Carl Lindner Jr.]], whose majority ownership of the company ended when Chiquita Brands International exited a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 19 March 2002. In 2003, the company acquired the German produce distribution company, [[Atlanta AG]]. Fresh Express salads was purchased from [[Performance Food Group]] in 2005. Chiquita's former headquarters were located in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]].<ref name=Charlotte>{{cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/30/2813157/charlotte-chamber-holding-business.html |title=Chiquita relocating headquarters to Charlotte |last=Portillo |first=Ely |work=[[The Charlotte Observer]] |date=2011-11-30 |access-date=30 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330225114/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/30/2813157/charlotte-chamber-holding-business.html |archive-date=30 March 2012 }}</ref>
Chiquita was acquired by Brazilian companies [[Cutrale]] and [[Safra Group|Safra]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiquita - Investor Relations - Financial Release |url=http://investors.chiquita.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=119836&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1981683 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141027155443/http://investors.chiquita.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=119836&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1981683 |archive-date=2014-10-27 |access-date=2016-07-28 |website=Investors.chiquita.com}}</ref>
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[[United Fruit Company]] was founded in 1899, when the Boston Fruit Company and various fruit exporting concerns controlled by Keith merged.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eagen |first=Rachel |title=The Biography of Bananas |publisher=Crabtree Publishing Company |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7787-2483-4 |location=New York, NY |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref> In 1903, United Fruit Company was listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]] and became the first company to use refrigeration during open sea transport. In the same year, a US-funded railroad was built in [[Guatemala]] to benefit the company.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Thomas |title=Encyclopedia of U.S. - Latin American Relations |last2=Buchenau |first2=Jurgen |last3=Longley |first3=Kyle |last4=Mount |first4=Graeme |publisher=CQ Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-60871-792-7 |location=Thousand Oaks, CA |pages=341 |language=en}}</ref> During this period, United Fruit Company was known for its aggressive and exploitative practices in its operations in Central America.<ref name=":0" />
In 1928, workers went on strike in protest against poor pay and working conditions in the company plantations in [[Ciénaga, Magdalena|Ciénaga]] ([[Colombia]]). The company lobbied the U.S. government
United Fruit used emotionally charged advertising campaigns to gain support, like "The Great White Fleet," a cruise liner that took American tourists to nations in Central and South America that United Fruit had invested in. Positive corporate image was fostered by commercials, which presented these destinations as exotic, fun excursions. Nevertheless, well planned tourist trips concealed the brutal and corrupt reality that existed on United Fruit's plantations in Latin America. By 1930, the company's fleet had grown to 95 ships.<ref name=history />
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In November 2001, Chiquita filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to restructure the company.<ref name="history" /> It emerged from the bankruptcy on 19 March 2002, ending Cincinnati businessman [[Carl Lindner Jr.|Carl H. Lindner Jr.]]'s control of the company. Also in 2002, Chiquita joined the Ethical Trading Initiative and was named as a top "green stock" by ''The Progressive Investor''.<ref name="history" />
In 2003, Chiquita acquired the German produce distribution company, [[Atlanta AG]]. It also sold its processed foods division to [[Seneca Foods]] that year. In 2004, 100% of Chiquita farms were certified compliant with the SA8000 labor standard and the company earned the "Corporate Citizen of the Americas Award" from a Honduran charity.<ref name="history" /> Fresh Express salads was purchased from [[Performance Food Group]] in 2005.<ref name="history" />
===Acquisition===
In March 2014, Chiquita Brands International and [[Fyffes]] announced that their boards of directors had unanimously approved a merger agreement. In the stock-for-stock transaction, former Chiquita shareholders
A $611 million takeover offer by Cutrale of Brazil and Safra group in August 2014, was rejected outright by Chiquita, with the company refusing to meet with the bidders to discuss the offer. Chiquita said it was pressing on with its merger with Fyffes.<ref name="ChiquitaBid">{{cite news |date=16 August 2014 |title=Brazilian takeover offer rejected by US banana giant Chiquita |url=http://www.charlottestar.com/index.php/sid/224813151 |access-date=17 August 2014 |work=Charlotte Star}}</ref> However, shortly after Chiquita shareholders rejected the Fyffes merger the Cutrale-Safra offer of $14.50 per share was accepted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/10/27/chiquita-brazil-deal/17997003/|title=Chiquita OKs $681M sale to Brazil bidders|date=2014-10-27|website=Usatoday.com|access-date=2016-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bidnessetc.com/28025-chiquita-shareholders-reject-fyffes-merger/|title=Chiquita Brands International Inc (NYSE:CQB) Shareholders Reject Fyffes Merger|author=Ghous Zaman|date=2014-10-27|website=Bidnessetc.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023747/http://www.bidnessetc.com/28025-chiquita-shareholders-reject-fyffes-merger/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=2016-07-28}}</ref> Yet the North Carolina Economic Development board asserted that if the headquarters was moved away, the company would be due to return N.C. and local incentive money. Former Charlotte City Council member John Lassiter, who heads the board, said the new owners would inherit Chiquita's responsibilities under a 2011 deal that brought the company to the city. The agreement
==Operations==
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== In popular culture ==
* [[Gabriel García Márquez]] alludes to the
==See also==
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[[Category:United Fruit Company]]
[[Category:Fruit production]]
[[Category:Banana production in the United States]]
[[Category:2014 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Agriculture companies established in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Environmental racism]]
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