Climate crisis threatens bananas: two-thirds of the area will become unsuitable - research

The climate crisis threatens the future of the world's most popular fruit: a new study has shown that almost two-thirds of the banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean could become unsuitable for growing them by 2080. This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.

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Rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions and pests caused by climate change are affecting banana-producing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and destroying rural communities across the region, according to a new report by Christian Aid, a Christian charity, titled "Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World's Favorite Fruit."

Bananas are the most consumed fruit in the world and the fourth most important agricultural crop after wheat, rice and corn. About 80% of the world's bananas are consumed locally, and more than 400 million people depend on bananas as a source of 15-27% of their daily calories.

Approximately 80% of banana exports that are supplied to supermarkets around the world come from Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that is one of the most vulnerable to extreme weather events and slow-onset climate disasters.

However, this crop is under threat due to the human-induced climate crisis, which is jeopardizing a vital source of food and livelihoods for communities that have made virtually no contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Climate change is destroying our crops. This means there is no income because we cannot sell anything. My plantation is dying. What is happening is death

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Bananas, especially the Cavendish variety, are sensitive fruits. They require a temperature range of 15°C to 35°C, as well as sufficient but not excessive amounts of water. They are vulnerable to storms, which can damage the plant's leaves, reducing its ability to photosynthesize.

Although there are hundreds of varieties of bananas, Cavendish is the main export variety due to its good taste, hardiness and high yield. However, it is precisely because of the lack of genetic diversity that bananas are particularly vulnerable to rapid climate change.

The climate crisis is directly worsening growing conditions — and contributing to the spread of fungal diseases that are already destroying crops and livelihoods. For example, the "black spot" fungus can reduce the ability of bananas to photosynthesize by 80% and thrives in humid climates, making bananas susceptible to erratic rainfall and flooding. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are also contributing to the spread of another fungus, Fusarium Tropical Race 4, a soil microorganism that is devastating Cavendish plantations around the world.

Christian Aid is calling on rich, heavily polluting countries, which bear the main responsibility for the climate crisis, to urgently phase out fossil fuels and meet their commitments to finance the adaptation of communities to climate change.

"Bananas are not only the world's favorite fruit, but also a vital food for millions of people. We must recognize the danger that climate change poses to this key crop," said Osai Ojigo, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Christian Aid. "The lives and well-being of people who have done nothing to cause this crisis are already under threat."

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