By: Staff Writer
May 13, 2025
Climate change is threatening banana production across the world and is affecting one of the Latin America and Caribbean’s (LAC) largest producers, Guatemala, a new report states.
The report, “Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World’s Favourite Fruit,” produced by Christian Aid, highlighted the vulnerability of banana crops, particularly the Cavendish variety, which accounts for all but a tiny fraction of global exports.
The report also said: “Banana growers in Guatemala who are finding that climate change is destroying their once hardy banana plants. One grower, Aurelia, says: ‘The banana crops are dying off. The trees are folding down and dying. In the past there was a prediction that this would happen in the future, but it has come earlier, and this is because we are not taking care of our motherland, our ecosystems, and this is very worrying for our kids and especially for our grandkids. What is uncertain, is perhaps this situation is going to worsen in the future and we lose this whole plantation. This is going to be a huge issue for me.’”
The report continued: “Most exported bananas are a single variety, the Cavendish, chosen for its high yield. However, this lack of genetic variation within the banana supply makes the crop vulnerable. Europe and the US rely on Latin America for its banana supply with that region set to be particularly impacted with climate change causing a 60 percent reduction in the area suitable for export banana production by 2080.”
“Black Leaf Fungus can reduce the ability of banana plants to photosynthesise by 80 per cent and thrives in wet conditions making bananas at risk from erratic rainfall and flooding.
“Another fungal affliction, Panama disease, or Fusarium Tropical Race 4 as its known, has been found around the world in recent years and is spread through the soil. Once infection of the soil has occurred, then Cavendish bananas can no longer be grown there.”
While efforts have been made by a number of companies and academic institutions around the world to breed new resistant varieties and to develop treatments that mitigate the effects of climate change, it’s clear the challenges posed by a less predictable environment – cold, heat, high winds, and water shortages – are many and likely to increase the cost pressure on banana supply chains across much of the globe.
The report also said: “To protect the livelihoods of banana growers, most of whom have done nothing to cause the climate crisis, Christian Aid is urging governments to use the latest submission new national climate plans under the Paris Agreement, known as NDCs, to reduce emissions driving the threat to bananas. We also call for rich countries, whose current and historic emissions are driving the climate crisis, to commit to paying their fair share of climate finance to developing countries to help them adapt to these changed conditions.”