Latest news with #GoingBananas
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Deccan Herald
Monoculture cropping threatens banana cultivation: Experts
The response comes in the wake of a report titled 'Going Bananas: how climate change threatens the world's favourite fruit' by the London-based experts associated with Christian Aid. The report focused on India, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Tanzania.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Beloved fruit faces devastating collapse as threat worsens for farms: 'What has been happening is death'
A new report suggests the future viability of the world's most popular fruit could be in serious jeopardy, according to The Guardian. The report, appropriately titled Going Bananas, was commissioned by Christian Aid and found that by 2080, there could be a 60% reduction in the area suitable for bananas grown for exports. There are many banana varieties, but almost all bananas sold to developed nations are Cavendish. These are chosen for their high yields, long shelf life, distinctive coloring, and taste. Because the global market is so heavily dependent on a single variant, Cavendish bananas are particularly vulnerable to warming temperatures, extreme weather, and disease. The authors of the report spoke to several banana farmers, including Aurelia, 53, from Guatemala, who said: "What is happening is that my plantation has been dying. So, what has been happening is death. Death to my crops." The Cavendish can be grown between 15 and 35 degrees Celsius and is sensitive to water shortages and flooding. Rising temperatures caused by pollution from dirty energy sources result in more frequent and severe extreme weather events that can destroy crop yields. Warmer temperatures also make fungal infections more widespread. Bananas as a crop were nearly wiped out in the 1950s by Panama disease, per Time, and the Cavendish became successful because it was a variety of banana more resistant to it, but it's hardly inconceivable that a new variant of Panama disease could emerge. Bananas are a key cash crop and food source for millions across the Caribbean and Latin America. Eighty percent of banana exports come from this area. Additionally, 400 million people rely on bananas for a substantial portion of their daily calories. What makes the problem so tragic is that the people on the sharp edge of the crisis had so little to do with creating it. For example, Guatemala is the eighth-largest producer of bananas worldwide, per World Population Review, but is responsible for just 0.052% of the world's harmful pollution, according to Worldometer. As Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid's director of policy and campaigns, told The Guardian, "The lives and livelihoods of people who have done nothing to cause the climate crisis are already under threat." The study calls for a multifaceted approach to mitigating the future crisis. The first is reducing global pollution. The second is providing targeted support for farmers and transitioning to more just and sustainable food systems. Would you buy juice or yogurt made with bruised or misshapen fruit? If I couldn't tell the difference If it were cheaper If it were healthier I'd never buy it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Individuals can also help by shopping smarter, being aware of climate issues, and supporting local initiatives. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hans India
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
60% of banana growing areas hit by climate change globally
New Delhi:A report highlights how 60 per cent of the best banana growing areas globally are in danger from rising temperatures. 'Climate change has been killing our crops,' remarked Aurelia Pop Xo, a banana grower in Guatemala. The report published on Monday by the international development charity Christian Aid said extreme weather, rising temperatures and climate-related pests pose a threat to banana producing regions, sparking calls for faster emission cuts and more support for farmers. Currently, Latin America and the Caribbean are responsible for 80 per cent of banana exports which supply supermarkets around the world. However, the report highlights 60 per cent of the most suitable banana growing areas in that region could be lost by 2080 due to rising temperatures and extreme weather. India is one of the largest producers of banana in the world with 29.7 million tonnes from an area of 0.88 million hectares with a productivity of 37 MT/ha. Although India accounts for only 15.5 per cent in area, its contribution in the world's production is 25.58 per cent, say Indian experts. For many people, a banana is not just an enjoyable fruit, but a staple part of their diet and essential for survival. In fact, it's the fourth most important food crop globally, after wheat, rice and maize. More than 400 million people rely on bananas for 15 to 27 per cent of their daily calories. The report, 'Going Bananas: How climate change threatens the world's favourite fruit', also features first-hand accounts from banana growers that work with Christian Aid partner organisations. Banana grower Aurelia, 53, said, 'Climate change has been killing our crops. This means there is no income because we cannot sell anything. What is happening is that my plantation has been dying. So, what has been happening is death.' 'In the past there was a prediction that this would happen in the future, but it has come earlier, and this is because we are not taking care of our motherland, our planet, our ecosystems, and this is very worrying for our kids and especially for our grandkids,' Aurelia added.
Express Tribune
12-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Bananas may vanish from export shelves by 2080, report finds
Listen to article Climate change could render nearly two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean unsuitable by 2080, threatening the world's most consumed fruit, according to a new report from Christian Aid. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, stronger storms, and fungal diseases are already damaging yields in key producing countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, the report said. Bananas are a vital food source and cash crop. Globally, more than 400 million people rely on the fruit for up to 27% of their daily calories. While 80% of bananas are consumed locally, the vast majority of global exports come from Latin America and the Caribbean—one of the regions most exposed to climate extremes. The report, titled Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World's Favourite Fruit, highlights that climate-driven impacts are already being felt on the ground. 'Climate change has been killing our crops. This means there is no income because we cannot sell anything,' said Aurelia Pop Xo, a 53-year-old banana farmer in Guatemala. 'What is happening is that my plantation has been dying.' Bananas, especially the cavendish variety, are highly climate-sensitive. They thrive within a narrow temperature range of 15C to 35C and require carefully balanced rainfall. Excess water and violent storms can damage leaves, weakening the plant's ability to photosynthesise. The lack of genetic diversity in the global banana trade, which largely depends on the cavendish, makes the fruit especially vulnerable to climate-related threats. Fungal diseases such as black leaf fungus and fusarium wilt are spreading faster under changing weather patterns, further threatening plantations. Christian Aid is urging wealthy, high-emitting countries to rapidly phase out fossil fuels and provide financial support for adaptation in low-income communities most affected by climate change. 'Bananas are not just the world's favourite fruit, they are also an essential food for millions of people,' said Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid's policy and campaigns director. 'The lives and livelihoods of people who have done nothing to cause the climate crisis are already under threat.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world's most popular fruit, research shows
The climate crisis is threatening the future of the world's most popular fruit, as almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing the fruit by 2080, new research has found. Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate-related pests are pummeling banana-growing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and devastating rural communities across the region, according to Christian Aid's new report, Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World's Favourite Fruit. Bananas are the world's most consumed fruit – and the fourth most important food crop globally, after wheat, rice and maize. About 80% of bananas grown globally are for local consumption, and more than 400 million people rely on the fruit for 15% to 27% of their daily calories. Related: Our food system isn't ready for the climate crisis An estimated 80% of banana exports which supply supermarkets around the world come from Latin America and the Caribbean – one of the most vulnerable regions to extreme weather and slow-onset climate disasters. And yet the crop is under threat from the human-made climate crisis, and threatens a vital food source and the livelihoods of communities that have contributed virtually nothing to the greenhouse gases driving global heating. 'Climate change has been killing our crops. This means there is no income because we cannot sell anything. What is happening is that my plantation has been dying. So, what has been happening is death,' Aurelia Pop Xo, 53, a banana grower in Guatemala, told Christian Aid researchers. Bananas, especially the cavendish, are sensitive fruits. They require a temperature range between 15C and 35C (59F and 95F) to thrive, and just enough water – but not too much. They are sensitive to storms, which can cause a banana plant to shred leaves, making it much harder for the crop to photosynthesize. While there are hundreds of banana varieties, the cavendish accounts for the vast majority of exports since it was chosen by the fruit conglomerates for its decent flavor, hardiness and high yield. It's this lack of genetic variation that makes bananas particularly vulnerable to the rapidly changing climate. The climate crisis directly harms growing conditions – and contributes to the spread of fungal diseases that are already decimating crops and livelihoods. Black leaf fungus can reduce the ability of banana plants to photosynthesize by 80% and it thrives in wet conditions, making bananas at risk from erratic rainfall and flooding. Rising temperatures and changing rain patterns are exacerbating another fungus, fusarium tropical race 4, a soil-borne microbe which is devastating entire cavendish plantations across the world. Christian Aid is calling on wealthy polluting nations most responsible for the climate crisis to urgently transition away from fossil fuels and fulfil their obligations to provide financing to help communities adapt to the changing climate. 'Bananas are not just the world's favourite fruit, they are also an essential food for millions of people. We need to wake up to the danger posed by climate change to this vital crop,' said Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid's director of policy and campaigns. 'The lives and livelihoods of people who have done nothing to cause the climate crisis are already under threat.'
