It was the summer of 2015 when my roommate told me about an article she read from the previous year that detailed the possible demise of the Cavendish banana, and how the previous top banana, the Gros Michel (also known as "Big Mike"), was killed off by the Panama disease, an unmerciful fungus strain. Between wondering if I should hoard bananas (don't -- their quality declines in the freezer) or continue on with my normal life, I decided to look more into Banapocalypse and the fate of our bananas.
It wasn't until the late 19th century that bananas became a staple in the American diet, thanks to the cultivation, travel, and marketing tactics by the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita). The Gros Michel reigned in power before the Cavendish, the kind we eat today. Larger than the Cavendish, the Gros Michel is apparently much sweeter and creamier. While it is still around, it is rare to find, or expensive. While artificial banana flavoring and the Gros Michel apparently taste similar, there is little evidence that the flavoring is based off of the real thing, contrary to banana lore.
The banana is unique in that the Cavendish is the dominant variation worldwide. Preference of apples, on the other hand, vary by location, with no real burden in acquiring different kinds. With the Cavendish as the world's go-to variety, it, too, could be easily wiped out like the Gros Michel because of lacking genetic diversity. Like many crops, the banana originally had many varieties, but when it entered the global market, diversity plummeted.
A basic tenet of evolution and biology is understanding that low genetic variation makes it so a species is less likely to adapt, and is more susceptible to ailments and extinction. The Irish Potato Famine is one such illustration of how deadly it can be, for both potatoes and those who depend on them. In relation to agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing a single species to promote consistency and efficiency. As useful as it can be, it has also has proven to be difficult when dealing with diseases.
With a type of Fusarium wilt (called Panama disease Tropical Race 4 -- TR4) appearing in Australia during 2015, the future of bananas has again been questioned. Just because time has passed and humans have made more technological advances does not mean that the industry is any more capable of controlling any diseases. Combining destroying contaminated plants, quarantine, and changing up agricultural methods, the cultivators, distributors, and even the government have worked hard to keep TR4 contained. However, these plans are only so successful, and because the fungus is so easily spread, it manages to infect crops around the world.
With people becoming more aware of the ill fate of the Cavendish, they are coming up with new ideas to combat this. Despite the public and uninformed outcry against genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it may be with the help of them that we can once again bring the Gros Michel back to the public eye, as well as aiding the Cavendish and other varieties. Through GMOs, we could also make the crop resistant to certain diseases, including TR4. Another option includes diversifying the banana market. If we can easily buy different kinds of apples, why shouldn't we with bananas?
Projections about the future of bananas are mixed, but what we do know is that TR4 is a big problem that the industry is battling against. The length in which monoculture has affected the banana goes to show that we need to rethink how we grow and distribute crops. The collapse of the Gros Michel provided us with a lesson, but we took no heed of it. Replacing the Cavendish is possible but complicated. Before we have no choice but to turn to other bananas, we should work now on expanding their variation and embracing innovation. Let's relish what we have and branch out our options before Banapocalypse fully comes upon us.
