Cavendish banana in peril.

togata57 · Oct 25, 2016

The banana as we know it is in imminent danger

wcutler · Oct 25, 2016

That article cites a similar article with more details from 2008:
Can This Fruit Be Saved?
Here is a quote from that article:

Swennen emphasizes that biotech is literally the only way to save the Cavendish, which, because it is 100 percent seedless, can't be improved on by traditional hybridization methods. And FHIA's approach of growing a new variety from scratch, he argues, is too slow.

Traditional banana scientists, like the ones in Honduras, know that the methods they use are slower by decades than the lab-induced DNA manipulation that Swennen and his fellow researchers are working on. But they also know that resistance to genetically engineered foods runs deep among the world's consuming public. A recent survey by Fyffes (the banana importer that is to Britain what Chiquita is to the U.S.) found that 82 percent of U.K. shoppers said they would never buy a genetically altered banana, even if proven to be safe, even if doing so allowed the elimination of pesticides and other potentially harmful agricultural chemicals-a major advantage, supporters say, of biotech crops. Public aversion to DNA-altered foods exists throughout Europe, where most such fruits and vegetables are banned.
Click to expand...

A Ted Talk on the American Chestnut included a section on Transgenics. The video is included in this posting, see the section around 9 minutes in.
American Chestnut in the Lower Mainland?
He doesn't use the term "DNA-altered" or "genetically-engineered", but isn't that the same?

Log in or Sign up

Cavendish banana in peril.

togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

Share This Page