A new study shows that rising temperatures may threaten banana production in the future.

What's happening?

Though there are many varieties of bananas, the Cavendish is the variety preferred by export chains. However, this banana does not have seeds, which means that a significant majority of the bananas on the market are clones, making them particularly vulnerable to disease. 

The relationship between bananas, one of the most popular fruits in the world, and their extreme fragility led University of Exeter professor Daniel Bebber to examine how rising temperatures might affect their production, according to Mongabay. 

The study determined that due to temperature and socioeconomic factors in the countries where bananas are grown, a 60% reduction in the areas most suitable for banana production will occur sometime between 2061 and 2080, resulting in far fewer bananas in the world.

Why are fewer banana crops concerning?

When popular crops, such as bananas, become scarcer or more expensive, the food security of the global population becomes less stable, particularly for lower-income individuals. Considering that farmers of all kinds of crops are consistently struggling to produce enough crops due to extreme weather events and rising global temperatures, the world's food security could be extremely threatened.

If temperatures continue to rise, farmers will have to deal with more extreme weather, such as drought, hail, and heavy rains, which will continue to make growing food for the world's population more challenging, if not impossible.

Fewer bananas and other crops equal less food on grocery store shelves, leading to food scarcity and higher prices for whatever food is still available. Additionally, reduced crop yields can result in issues that affect the entire food supply chain.

On top of all that, fewer crops may result in farmers earning far less income than they used to, which could lead to fewer jobs on farms and more farms shutting down.

What's being done to help banana production?

Smaller banana farms are already finding ways to adapt to a changing climate. These smaller farms value crop diversity because diverse crops are more resilient to pests, environmental changes, and economic fluctuations. Increasing food biodiversity overall is one of the most effective ways to adapt to climatic instability.

As Professor Bebber explained, "We need to work quickly to make food production systems more resilient to shocks, with a special focus on diversification."

Additionally, around the world, scientists and researchers are working on new technologies to aid in crop production, as well as examining ways to make crops more drought-resistant.

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