Known for decades, Panama disease has reappeared in a more severe form that is seriously endangering the production of the yellow fruit. Solutions do exist, but these can pose ethical questions or timescale issues when it comes to their implementation
The Cavendish is the world's most common banana variety.
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Worse than a shortage, there are fears that the banana—one of the world's most popular fruits—could be all but wiped out. Known for decades, Panama disease has reappeared in a more severe form that is seriously endangering production of the yellow fruit. Solutions do exist, but these can pose ethical questions or timescale issues when it comes to their implementation.
On the Caribbean island of Martinique, the authorities are investigating the fraudulent use of a plant growth regulator to give a more yellow tint to bananas that are still green. Indeed, ethephon is authorized for pineapples, but not for bananas. While this case raises questions of transparency towards consumers, it also signals the need for greater vigilance in protecting the banana to ensure the world can keep eating this fruit long term. In fact, scientists are working hard to find a solution to safeguard the most common variety of banana, the Cavendish, which accounts for 97% of world trade. That's because this go-to healthy snack is under threat from the resurgence of a long-known disease that attacks banana trees and can cause them to die.
Beyond the issue of food, the situation also threatens economic systems. India is the leading producer of bananas, with 30.5 million tonnes produced in 2019, ahead of China and the Philippines. In terms of exports, it is mostly Latin American countries that supply the American and European markets, with Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica as the main suppliers.
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