Why the banana? A social problem.
So apparently we mostly only grow one kind of banana on this planet; because it was free of a fungus that plagued all the other varieties. And now this one banana that we have been growing since the 1970s, the Cavendish, is sick with fungus we thought it couldn’t get. Oops.
You can see this problem as a social one. On one side it makes perfect sense to just grow this one kind of banana that performs the best. That is strategic capitalist thinking at its best. Taking that one banana and applying an economy of scale by production, and voila, tons of bananas at cheap prices.
On the other side you have a global mindset that applies what is best for all people every where; this is thinking in complexity. And in complexity choosing just one banana does not fit a global mindset. Having just one kind of banana poses risks for every one. Like now, that banana is failing us. Yes, the other kinds were susceptible to the disease, but having more than one kind would have balanced the risk of one kind failing us. Though we grow other types of bananas like the Red, Burro, and Plantain, we still grow the vast majority in the Cavendish type. Not only would growing more varieties help balance risk, it would also provide different nutrient profiles. This would give us a much needed boost in nutrients in a world where everything you get in the store is the same year after year. We get the same type of apples, pears, and bananas everyday.
I eat a lot of bananas, my son eats lots of bananas. In America we all grow up eating lots of bananas. We watch movies that makes fun of bananas. It is one of the top most consumed fruits other than apples, oranges, berries, and grapes. Most of us probably eat more bananas than any other fruit. It might even be thought that bananas have changed humanity in ways no other fruit has. But wouldn’t be nice to see more varieties of something we eat more than anything? I have started to try different foods, including the Red and Plantain versions of the banana. No, they are definitely not as sweet or as nice looking, but they train my taste buds for new experiences and open my mind to new possibilities. Here in America it is easy to get stuck in the every day life style of production and consumption; we should think about new ways to experience life. And trying new kinds of bananas seems a childish way to start, but most of the American life style looks childish (Just watch the news or tv), so why not try something different?
