Do you like bananas? Enjoy them now before they're gone

[thewayne]

I freely admit that I don't like bananas. Never have, probably never will. Didn't like 'em as a little kid, don't like 'em as an adult.

But that's just me. Lots of people like 'em, and more power to them. (actually, fried plantains are pretty good, I have to admit that)

I did not know that the bananas enjoyed by our grandparents are not the current strain. The older strain, called Gros Michel, is totally extinct. It was wiped out by a blight known as Panama Disease. The current strain pumped into markets by Dole and Chiquita is called Cavendish, it was resistant to Panama Disease.

Notice the word "was".

Apparently Panama Disease is back, and it's attacking Cavendish. This has huge potential for devastation in parts of Africa where it is a major staple of their diet.

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/02/0033211

Comments

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

Y'know, that's just depressing. They're not my favorite fruit in the world, but I'd be sad to see 'em disappear.

The one worry I have is some well-meaning scientist is going to use this as a reason to introduce a genetically modified variety that can stand up to the fungus. I very much worry what'll happen when most of our foods are genetically modified, and this could be something that might start that..

I'm starting to feel glad I don't have kids. If that is the way it goes, I'm not sure I'd want to leave them that world.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

According to some Slashdot comments in the article, apparently the Cavendish strain are effectively all clones of each other and that you get new plants and cross-pollinate through cuttings, so it's at risk anyway.

It's not a good thing that so much genetic engineering is going on, producing uni-gene lines.

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

It's not a good thing that so much genetic engineering is going on, producing uni-gene lines.

Agreed.