The bananas in your supermarket and that you eat for breakfast are facing functional extinction due to the disease Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by a fungal pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4).
Good research but as they point out, the much simpler solution is simply to grow a variety of different bananas instead of one clone across the entire earth.
I wonder if there is an ureported reason that they haven’t done that. Because I think your idea makes sense, and surely they must have a reason for not doing it.
My understanding is they store well and consumers are used to them. There are definitely many other varieties available in local markets in tropical areas, some of which are better tasting IMO. But it’s just one of those things about global commodity trade that they want them all to be identical.
The current banana is cheapest to transport. They can be harvested when still unripe and ripe along the way, so no expensive fast transport is needed. They’re are many other varieties, but this one was the easy moneymaker.
Good research but as they point out, the much simpler solution is simply to grow a variety of different bananas instead of one clone across the entire earth.
I wonder if there is an ureported reason that they haven’t done that. Because I think your idea makes sense, and surely they must have a reason for not doing it.
My understanding is they store well and consumers are used to them. There are definitely many other varieties available in local markets in tropical areas, some of which are better tasting IMO. But it’s just one of those things about global commodity trade that they want them all to be identical.
The current banana is cheapest to transport. They can be harvested when still unripe and ripe along the way, so no expensive fast transport is needed. They’re are many other varieties, but this one was the easy moneymaker.