Thursday, November 01, 2007

On Bananas

Have you heard that bananas are going to be extinct in 10 years? That has been the chatter since it hit the news 2003. Is this forecast overly pessimistic? Perhaps.


Beautiful blue sky ruined by....
Originally uploaded by [OP].


The Cavendish banana is indeed at risk due to its manipulated genetic monoculture and a range of ailments from which it has no natural defence. However there are several hundred varieties of bananas available, with new ones being developed to fill our insatiable lust for affordable year round tropical fruit. There are also strict quarantine regulations to prevent the spread of infection to all the various farms.

While no one can deny the need for greater genetic diversity for a stable and secure food supply, we should also be wary of sensationalist headlines.

Links:
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bananas.asp
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/13120-en.html
http://www.apsnet.org/media/press/banana%20extinction.asp

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