banana plantations

Originally uploaded by ryan linke

i rented a bicycle in hampi and just cruised around taking in the amazing landscapes. huge boulders stacked on top of each other formed from millions of years of erosion. layered within these rocks are several banana plantations. i happened to pass by one that was harvesting. these women kept coming out of the plantation, beautifully dressed in colorful saris with amazing smiles. they asked me to take a picture of them. i found out later that most of the workers receive 100 rupees a day which is equivalent to 2.50$.
as the price of food rises globally i can not help but think of these women who rise with the sun everyday and work in the plantations so other people can eat. it is often the farmer/laborer who can not afford the crop that they work so hard to harvest. they work in the blistering heat so we can eat, and they are often forgotten. when i got back to the city i went to a market where many people were selling bananas, i could not help but think about the labor and effort that went into getting the food into the cities.