Re: Panama disease making a comeback
Gabe, I think you're right on with what you said. I feel that a lot of the problem also comes from Chiquita and Dole only producing Cavendish (a monoculture), which makes it much easier for any one species or variety to be wiped out by insects or disease. That's why it's so important to diversify. I realize that doing so would bring on a whole new set of issues for them such as harvest timing, certain varieties that don't ship as well, the uneducated American consumer that thinks that the Cavendish (or yellow) types are the only kind of bananas. If the big banana companies would do some advertising and let the American public know that there are more (and tastier) types out there I feel they'd be able to diversify what they grow and ship here much more easily. I do agree that it's not quite the doomsday scenario that he depicts it to be, though.
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