Are Reports of the Banana’s Extinction Greatly Exaggerated?

Written by Edward Champion

Posted on June 2, 2008 
Filed Under Bananas, Food

The banana, as we know it, is not the banana that our grandparents knew and enjoyed. And this contemporary banana is in danger of extinction due to a new strain of Panama disease. Or so says The Scientist, which appears to be parroting alarmist reports debunked by Snopes a few years ago. The Vietnamese Cavendish banana is the one commonly exported to the United States. But it is, by no means, the only banana cultivar out there. What this may mean is that the Cavendish banana, a less lusher fruit than the Gros Michael banana decimated in the 1950s, will be replaced by an even more derivative and genetically mutated banana. Unless some pesticide is introduced which is able to decimate this latest Panama strain. The biggest regret amidst this hysteria is that there isn’t a single cultural figure who comes even close to Carmen Miranda who can put all this into perspective.

Comments

2 Responses to “Are Reports of the Banana’s Extinction Greatly Exaggerated?”

  1. Gwenda on June 2nd, 2008 12:34 pm

    I heard awhile back and the guy sounded convincing enough, and also like we are really missing out on the world’s best bananas here in the U.S. of A.

  2. Gwenda on June 2nd, 2008 12:35 pm

    Okay, that didn’t work for some reason. So here’s the direct link:

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19097412

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