If you thought that the banana crisis being discussed in the media, in the produce section and at cocktail parties was somehow about you, think bigger. Although it may be difficult to accept a world without bananas on your morning cereal, the bigger picture is far more serious.

            There are over 500 varieties of banana. It originated in India and Southeast Asia, but was spread by the explorers and immigrants to most of the tropical regions of the world. Wild bananas are very seedy and not sweet. They are generally considered to be cooking bananas. This includes the plantain, an important staple throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. The banana is one of the four major sources of starch, along with rice, maize and wheat, for millions of people, particularly those of Africa. Africa is the largest grower of bananas, but not for export. It is not considered a dessert treat there, but a necessity. The banana is an excellent source of carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin B6.

            The sweet, yellow Cavendish makes up 30% of the banana crops grown today. It is the only commercially valuable banana crop and is grown in Central and South America as well as Hawaii solely for the purpose of export to banana-loving countries such as ours. The production of bananas for our pleasure also provides much needed employment for thousands of workers with large companies such as Dole, Chiquita and Del Monte, as well as some small independents. Dessert bananas are seedless and have been bred either by natural mutation and hybridization or with a little help from the farmer. Because we have come to depend solely on this one variety of banana, we are in peril of losing our favourite fruit.

            Fungus and pests have always plagued banana crops. The current bout is with two culprits: the Panama fungus, which has been around for a long time, and a newer one, the Black Sigatoka, which is even more threatening because it is proving resistant to current pesticides. In the natural world of biodiversity, one or two fungi wouldn’t get away with wiping out an entire plant population. In the wild, there are strains of banana that are resistant to both of these fungi, but they are not the sweet and commercially profitable bananas we crave. The banana industry has been through this type of blight before. Fifty years ago, the banana grown exclusively for our tables, the Gros Michel, was destroyed by an earlier strain of the Panama fungus. The banana industry responded by developing another hybrid, the Cavendish, which was more resistant to the Panama strain at that time.

            You might think that the major banana industries would have learned from past experience to always have a back up, but apparently they haven’t. Not only is the current fungi plague causing grief in the banana fields, but also, recent hurricanes have destroyed large plantations. Add to this falling market prices due to an over-supply of the Cavendish in the past, nasty trade wars and political back-stabbing, and the result is that many companies are laying off workers, cutting wages and benefits or closing down entirely. The thousands of Central and South American workers who have depended upon this industry to keep them employed are losing jobs. And you were worried about what would replace the banana split?

            Pesticides are not the simple answer. They are expensive, cause environmental damage and are bad for the health of the workers. Some fungi are resistant to them, and if they aren’t now, they can quickly mutate to resistant forms. Small, independent farmers simply can’t afford them. It would seem clear that the best solution is to develop a new fungus-resistant strain of banana, but at the same time look at preserving the biodiversity of the banana to allow for a natural selection of resistant fruit.

            Some researchers are sure that genetic manipulation is the best and quickest answer. The large banana producers are wary of this, as they know that consumers are generally opposed to GM foods. But, for countries where the banana is more than just a luxury, this may be the quickest answer to their food shortage. For those like ourselves with the luxury of waiting for that perfect, sweet replacement to the Cavendish, natural hybridization is making advancements and there is hope that a variety known as the Gold Finger will soon be available. Because the dessert banana has been bred to lack seeds, it is sterile, and natural hybridization takes much longer. It’s not just a simple birds-and-bees thing. The Gold Finger is the offspring of wild bananas from India that have developed a natural resistance to the fungi. The trick is to cross them with other strains that will produce a banana sweet and attractive enough for the consumer’s table.

            While we are waiting for this new banana, it is worth a trip to an Oriental or Latin American grocery store to try out some of the various exotic bananas available there. I have bought the Manzano, or Finger banana, several times. They are like baby bananas and I bought them as a treat for the kids. Plantain is also a treat if cooked right. It needs to be fried in butter first to caramelize, and then it becomes a delicious. At my girlfriend’s home in the Caribbean, we often had it served as our starch with dinner.

I am confidant that eventually, we will have a replacement for my favourite fruit, although there may be a transition period of higher prices. I find it funny (funny sad, not funny “ha-ha”) that the real crisis seems to be that we thought the banana crisis was all about us!