UN Food and Agriculture Organisation senior economist Pascal Liu has warned that climate change could lead to higher banana prices, stressing that climate impacts are a “huge threat” to banana supply, exacerbating problems caused by rapidly spreading diseases, with the World Banana Forum gathering in Rome on Tuesday to address these concerns, on the 12th of March, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
The nutritious and delicious banana, with its natural yellow skin, is the world’s most exported fruit. According to the BBC, the UK alone imports around five billion bananas a year, around 90% of which are sold in major supermarkets, which faced a shortage of bananas last week due to sea storms.
But while banana supply can cope with short-term weather events and fluctuations in the supply chain, with ripening centres speeding up or slowing down the rate at which bananas ripen, experts are concerned about the growing threat posed by an increasingly warmer world and the diseases that spread in its wake.
“I think climate change is really a huge threat to the banana industry,”
said Liu, a member of the World Banana Forum, a UN group of industry stakeholders including retailers, producing countries, exporters, and research institutions.
Rising temperatures are contributing to the spread of diseases, with Fusarium Wilt TR4 posing the greatest threat. This fungal infection, originating in Australia and Asia, has now reached Africa and South America, destroying banana plantations.
Experts say that the fungus is difficult to eradicate and has mutated to threaten the world’s favourite banana variety, Cavendish.
“We know that Fusarium Wilt spores are very resistant and can spread during floods or with strong winds,” said Liu, stressing that it is extreme weather that spreads the disease much faster compared to normal weather conditions.
Banana growers are also facing increasing challenges,
including rising costs and labour shortages. Together with the impact of climate change on bananas, this situation is expected to lead to lasting higher prices in the UK and around the world.
“There will indeed be some price increases,” he said, predicting that banana prices will remain relatively high in the coming years unless banana supply is significantly increased.
Forum in Rome will also address sustainability issues, with consumers increasingly demanding responsibly produced goods. To meet sustainability requirements, growers are working to improve production practices and investing in independent inspectors to certify that their fruit is sustainable.
Pascal Liu acknowledged the positive impact of regulations in promoting sustainability but stressed that producers have to bear the associated costs, which ultimately affect final consumers.
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