A film about the future of bananas
Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit and a staple for almost half a billion people worldwide. Did you know 99% of the bananas we eat are from a single variety known as the Cavendish, which are genetic clones, decended from a single hothouse at the Chatsworth Estate in 1830? The banana is under threat from a fungal pathogen originating from Taiwan known as Tropical Race 4, which is wiping out plantations and spreading rapidly in top producing countries. The current production system (monoculture) is worsening the problems, both socio-economic and ecological, for this tropical fruit.
The documentary film seeks to peel back the complex history of how this tropical fruit came to be the number 1 item in our shopping baskets. We explore the socio-economic, political and environmental issues of the current production methods and outline what the future might hold for the banana.
We are a team of seven that met during our master’s studies at Imperial College London in 2016. I am the project co-ordinator for the documentary film. You can find out more about the film here and more about bananas in my BES Niche article (click the download button).
saralilmiddleton.com 