North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Tom Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>]

Hello,

This is not banana "extinction", that is media hype.  What is really going 
going on here is the
problem associated with mononculture.

What happens when 90% of banana farmers (insert any fruit) all grow the same 
named variety, and a
disease or pest comes along that happens to target that particular variety?  
One of two things; 1)
solution is found to pest/disease, 2) Farmers start growing a variety that is 
resistant to
pest/disease.

That is why variety diversity is so import. That is why cultural genebanks 
exist, preserving
diversity.  Finally, that is why NAFEX is here (well maybe not for bananas).

It is not extinction, but a monoculture side effect.  Who knows, maybe we 
will get a better
tasting, older banana variety, that has fallen to the wayside because it has 
a 1% shorter shelf
life than Cavendish.

Is it just me and aging taste buds, or are bananas less tasty than 30 years 
ago?  When did
Cavendish become the number one grown banana?

Later,
Tom

"Robert H." wrote:

> I heard about this somewhere about a year ago, I am surprized that
> this has not gotten more attention in the news. Could anyone imagine
> if bannas disappeard from store shelves?
>
> -