this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
658 points (100.0% liked)

196

16581 readers
1602 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Unfortunately, also going extinct if we don't play our cards right. All crop bananas are monocultures, basically clones, and there is a strain of fungus that has adapted to infect them with near 100% mortality rate. A single speck of contaminated soil can destroy an entire field, and it is only aggravated by the effects of climate change which are already devastating food production in general. In fact, we've already lost one banana cultivar to another very similar fungus. Commenting not to be a downer but to raise awareness of this active and serious issue. Bananas are a staple crop that many people depend on to survive, both economically and directly as a source of food. Programs are underway to save them but success is far from guaranteed.