Latest news with #YellowayOne
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why bananas may soon be a luxury in America; Chiquita's layoffs in Panama hold the answer
Chiquita , one of the United States' major banana suppliers, has announced that its administrative staff in Panama left the country on June 2 and that the company plans to lay off the remaining local workforce. This decision follows a lengthy labor dispute, during which Chiquita fired nearly 5,000 employees after they went on strike over social benefits and pension issues. These events have already begun to impact banana exports. Banana cultivation has also been affected by climate change, with rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the spread of plant diseases like Fusarium wilt (also known as Panama disease) threatening yields. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Semua yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Tentang Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari Undo A report by Christian Aid highlights that, due to climate-related factors, up to 60% of banana-growing areas in Latin America could become unsuitable for cultivation by 2080. Furthermore, bananas are perishable, making it more challenging to stockpile them, and any delays in transportation can result in significant losses. Live Events These factors suggest that bananas may become less available in North American stores, especially after the expected decrease in Chiquita products. How are the industries dealing with it? Chiquita dominates nearly 90% of banana production in Panama and also operates farms in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Peru. However, other major players like Dole and Del Monte also cultivate bananas in Panama and Latin America, potentially increasing their presence in US markets. Additionally, brands such as Bonita Bananas from Ecuador and Turbana from Colombia may become more prominent, though only time will reveal the market dynamics. In response to these challenges, companies like Chiquita are investing in research to develop disease-resistant banana varieties. One such initiative is the development of the "Yelloway One" banana, which may tolerate diseases like Fusarium wilt and Black Sigatoka. However, these solutions are still in the research phase and may take years to be widely implemented. Will there be a shortage of bananas in US stores? Banana supplies to the US are influenced by various factors such as weather conditions, labor challenges, and production levels in key growing regions. While an immediate price surge is unlikely, consumers may start to notice higher prices and fewer bananas on store shelves in the coming months. As the US heavily relies on banana imports, with approximately 75% of bananas entering through East and Gulf Coast ports. Recent labor strikes at these ports have disrupted the flow of bananas, which may lead to shortages.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Banana That Won't Brown So Fast? Scientists Just Made It Happen
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to create a banana that stays yellow longer, reducing food waste and extending shelf life. The biotech company Tropic says this innovation could cut carbon emissions significantly and prevent millions of bananas from being wasted. Approved for sale in multiple countries, including the United States and Canada, the banana is expected to hit store shelves by world can feel like a pretty bleak place right now. But you know what has the power to cheer you up? A delicious banana. And scientists have even developed one that stays fresher for longer, promising to stave off the dreaded "brown banana" period for a little longer. In March, Tropic Biosciences, a UK-based biotech company, unveiled its new gene-edited banana that promises to remain yellow for longer, not only ensuring you can enjoy it for a few extra days but also helping to reduce food waste in the process. "Tropic's non-browning bananas have the potential to significantly reduce food waste and CO2 emissions along the supply chain by more than 25%, as over 60% of exported bananas go to waste before reaching the consumer," the company shared in a statement about the banana. "This innovative product can support a reduction in CO2 emissions equivalent to removing 2 million passenger vehicles from the road each year." Related: Meet Yelloway One, Chiquita's New Disease-Resistant Banana According to Gilad Gershon, the co-founder of Tropic, the team used CRISPR gene editing techniques to disable a gene that creates the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which causes bananas to turn brown. 'After several years of development, we started production of [non-browning] seedlings about a year ago, and we're now starting to offer significant quantities of these banana plants to farmers," Gershon shared with AgFunderNews. 'The bananas have the same taste, smell, sweetness profile, the same everything, except that the flesh doesn't go brown as quickly, which means you can add them to fruit salads and cut fruit products, opening up a huge new market.' Importantly, Gershon noted that this will help companies buy at "least 10 extra days, which is huge for the banana industry." The company more specifically told The Guardian that the banana will stay yellow for up to 12 hours after it's peeled. Gershon additionally told AgFunderNews that the banana has been approved for sale in several countries, including the U.S. and Canada, and should be ready to roll out to store shelves sometime in 2025. Related: How to Cook Anything in a Banana Leaf While it may seem like a trivial scientific endeavor, it really is one with far-reaching positive consequences. According to a 2021 study in Horticulture Research, nearly one-third of bananas harvested are never consumed. That aligns with data that shows about one-third of the food the world produces also goes to waste. Or, as the World Resources Institute bluntly put it, "It means that an amount of land larger than China is used every year to produce food that no one will eat." But this new banana could be a major step toward improving these metrics. While it all sounds very futuristic, The Guardian pointed out that it's not the first fruit to get this treatment. The same gene was also edited out of Arctic apples, which have been sold in the U.S. since 2017. And just in case you're nervous about all the science put into this little fruit, know the Food and Drug Administration has this to say about genetically modified food: "GMO foods are carefully studied before they are sold to the public to ensure they are as safe as the foods we currently eat ... studies show that GMOs do not affect you differently than non-GMO foods." So go ahead, and enjoy that bright yellow banana. Read the original article on Food & Wine
