Scientists see hope in race to save the banana

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Chiquita has developed a new banana strain, Yelloway 1, resistant to one of the two major diseases threatening global banana crops, and showing potential against the second
• In Australia, researchers have also created a genetically modified banana resistant to both diseases
• These advancements aim to protect the Cavendish variety, which represents 99% of global banana exports

🔭 The context: Bananas have been threatened by Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and Black Sigatoka, which could wipe out the Cavendish crop as happened to the Gros Michel variety in the 1950s
• The sterility of bananas makes breeding disease-resistant varieties difficult, but scientists are racing to develop a solution

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Bananas are a critical food crop and source of income globally Developing disease-resistant strains could safeguard food security and prevent future agricultural crises

⏭️ What's next: Yelloway 1 bananas will be tested in the Philippines later this year, and if successful, further breeding will aim to replicate the taste and appearance of the current Cavendish bananas

💬 One quote: “If in a few years time you don’t see any change in your banana, we’ve done a great job.” — Peter Stedman, Chiquita

📈 One stat: Cavendish bananas account for 99% of the $14.4 billion global banana export market

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