The World's Most Popular Fruit May Be Endangered

In the future, bananas could become a very valuable commodity. According to a new report by Christian Aid, nearly two-thirds of the banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean could become unsuitable for cultivation by 2080 due to climate change. The region provides an estimated 80% of the banana exports that fill supermarket shelves around the world, reports the Guardian. But extreme weather, rising temperatures, and climate-fueled pests are already reducing yields in countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia. This puts at risk not just a beloved fruit, but a major global food source and a key income stream for farmers. "The lives and livelihoods of people who have done nothing to cause the climate crisis are already under threat," says Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid's policy director.

Bananas are the most consumed fruit globally and the fourth most important food crop after wheat, rice, and maize. Around 400 million people rely on them for up to 27% of their daily calories. And while 80% of the bananas consumed worldwide are grown for local markets, the remaining 20%, mostly exported cavendish bananas, come from Latin America and the Caribbean. These bananas are highly sensitive to shifts in temperature, storms, and rainfall, which directly affect their growth and increase the spread of devastating fungal diseases. "Climate change has been killing our crops," says Guatemalan banana farmer Aurelia Pop Xo. "My plantation has been dying."

The cavendish variety, which dominates the export market, is particularly at risk due to its genetic uniformity that makes it susceptible to climate-related diseases, such as black leaf fungus and fusarium tropical race 4, which are spreading faster due to erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. These fungi can destroy crops by limiting the plants' ability to photosynthesize or survive in infected soil. In response to the potential threat, Christian Aid is asking wealthy nations that are the most responsible for pollution to quickly move away from fossil fuels and help communities in the region adapt to the changing climate. "Bananas are not just the world's favorite fruit, they are also an essential food for millions of people." says Ojigho. "We need to wake up to the danger posed by climate change to this vital crop." (More bananas stories.)