Yes, We Have No Bananas

Bananas are one of the most widely eaten fruits. They are easy to handle, go anywhere, and kids love them. But bananas are in danger of disappearing from the planet. In fact, the bananas we eat today, are not even the same species that our grandparents ate.

Who doesn’t remember the commercial with the girl who had the basket of fruit on her head. It was a commercial for Chiquita bananas. Bananas are portrayed as a food for monkeys and other primates, but humans love them too. They are are rich source of much needed Potassium.

In the West we eat them for snacks and with our breakfast cereal, but in developing countries people eat many more bananas and depend on them as a primary food source. While bananas taste sweet, much of their history isn’t. The term banana republic refers to the banana barons who controlled and destroyed countries in pursuit of wealth and power via this fruit.

Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined, yet woefully, bananas are being destroyed by a fungus called Panama Disease. It is incurable and pretty much wipes out a banana plantation within a few years. Interestingly, the bananas of today are a species that was selected to be resistant to Panama Disease after the banana of our grandparents day was destroyed about 50 years ago.

Banana scientists believe that in 10-20 years the banana fields of South and Central America will succumb to the same fungus that has swept through the banana fields of Asia. A small clump of contaminated earth is all it takes.

Bananas are quite susceptible to many diseases. To make matters worse, most species of bananas are clones of each other. As they have no seeds, bananas are grown by making cuttings to grow a new tree. So, the Cavendish banana, which is the banana most of the world eats, is virtually the same exact fruit — vulnerable to the same diseases.

While Panama Disease is the worst to afflict bananas, there are a host of other deadly diseases that must be controlled for bananas to make it to your breakfast table. There are many chemicals that are used to ensure bananas continue to make it to your local supermarket.

The organic bananas at health food stores may be chemical free, but they don’t help the problem. There isn’t enough land to grow organic bananas to make it a viable option. This is because organic bananas must be grown at higher altitudes and cooler temperatures — a rare commodity with global warming.

By all accounts, the Gros Michele banana of days gone by was a bigger, tastier banana; however, it was wiped out by Panama Disease. The Cavendish banana that we are all familiar with is actually an inferior banana in taste. It is also more difficult to ship because it must be boxed whereas the tougher Gros Michele could just be thrown onto a boat.

I learned so many interesting facts about bananas from Dan Koeppel’s book that I could have made this a three-part article. I’ll never look at bananas as merely fruit again. Truthfully, they’re more like pawns in world politics with Mother Nature holding the trump card. In any event, appreciate this fruit while it’s with us because it’s future is far from certain.

Resource: Healthy Meal Planning