Afrikanische Frucht-Compagnie

The Afrikanische Frucht-Compagnie GmbH (AFC) is a German fruit importing company headquartered in Hamburg. Founded in 1912, it has specialized in the import of bananas for more than a century. The company originally operated plantations in the German colony of Cameroon, shipping bananas to Hamburg. After the First World War, its plantations were expropriated, but the company reacquired them in the 1920s and continued operations until the Second World War. After 1950, AFC shifted its sourcing to South and Central America, importing bananas from Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. In 1968, together with EDEKA-Fruchtkontor, it established the ALBA brand and introduced the branded banana 'Onkel Tuca' to the German market. Today, AFC continues to import bananas and other tropical fruits, emphasizing quality, sustainability, and reliable supply. The company remains privately held and operates internationally, working closely with producers and logistics partners.

The Afrikanische Frucht-Compagnie (AFC) was founded in Hamburg in 1912, acquiring a majority stake in the Afrikanische Frucht-Compagnie, Berlin, which had been established in 1910. The company initially focused on cultivating and selling tropical products from German colonies, specializing in banana cultivation in Cameroon. Bananas were loaded in Tiko and unloaded in the port of Hamburg, primarily sold as dried fruits known as 'Feigenbananen' (fig bananas). The parent company F. Laeisz had two refrigerated ships, Pionier and Pungo, built to transport fresh bananas, but they were delivered shortly before World War I and never used for that purpose. During the war, AFC's plantations were expropriated and taken over by Britain in 1916. In 1924, the German plantations in British Cameroon were auctioned in London due to unprofitability. To reacquire them, Fako Pflanzungen GmbH was founded in Germany, which successfully bid for the plantations on behalf of the previous German owners. Since Laeisz initially lacked refrigerated ships after the war, Feigenbananen were produced and shipped on regular cargo vessels. In 1930, the Bremer Vulkan shipyard delivered two new refrigerated ships, Panther and Puma, to Laeisz, which took over banana transport for AFC. By 1931, AFC cultivated bananas on about 3,000 hectares, processed around 240,000 stems into Feigenbananen, and transported about 570,000 bunches of fresh bananas using Laeisz's refrigerated ships. Four more refrigerated ships (Pionier (II), Pelikan, Pontos, and Phyton) followed by 1936, allowing AFC to land fresh bananas weekly in Germany. Most of these green bananas were ripened in AFC's own ripening facilities and sold in its own fruit shops. During World War II, the plantations were lost again, necessitating a large-scale restart. From 1950, bananas were imported from Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, and from 1957 AFC concentrated all imports on Central and South America. Transport initially used Laeisz refrigerated ships (Proteus type and successors), later also ships from other shipping companies. In the mid-1960s, the Gros Michel banana variety, which was predominantly cultivated, could no longer be planted due to Panama disease. Other varieties, such as the extremely pressure-sensitive Cavendish, which was resistant to Panama disease, replaced Gros Michel. These were unsuitable for shipping in stems, so stems were divided into smaller portions (hands) in the producing country and packed in boxes. In 1968, ALBA, a joint venture between AFC and EDEKA-Fruchtkontor, established the branded banana 'Onkel Tuca' in the market. Around 1950, per capita consumption in Germany was 1.9 kg, which multiplied to 11.3 kg by 1987. Today, AFC continues to import bananas and other tropical fruits, emphasizing quality, sustainability, and reliable supply.

• 1968

  Established 'Onkel Tuca' branded banana with ALBA

• 1957

  Concentrated all imports on Central and South America

• 1950

  Started importing bananas from Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil

• 1936

  Four more refrigerated ships added

• 1931

  Cultivated bananas on about 3,000 hectares

• 1930

  Two new refrigerated ships, Panther and Puma, delivered

• 1924

  Plantations reacquired via Fako Pflanzungen GmbH

• 1916

  Plantations expropriated and taken over by Britain

• 1912

  Founded in Hamburg

Quality, sustainability, and reliable supply of bananas and tropical fruits.

• Bananas

• Feigenbananen (dried bananas)

• Onkel Tuca branded bananas

1. 1AFC – AFRIKANISCHE FRUCHT-COMPAGNIEafc-frucht.de
2. 2Über uns – AFCafc-frucht.de
3. 3Afrikanische Frucht-Compagniede.wikipedia.org
4. 4Afrikanische Frucht-Compagniewikidata.org