By Sofia Perez - Forbes
3 July 2024
It’s easy to take bananas for granted. Walk into any U.S. supermarket, no matter how poorly stocked, and there they are. Bananas top the list offresh fruit sold in this country—the average American consumes nearly 27 pounds of them annually—and are among the leading fruits consumed globally, but despite their sunny appearance, they face an uncertain future.
To prevent the fruit’s possible extinction, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and its Millennial Seed Bank have been collaborating with the Crop Trust on a project thatcollects and protects the wild relativesof bananas and other important food crops. The plan is to safeguard the genetic material that would be essential to breeding a new variety should the Cavendish succumb to disease.
Categories: Crop Trust in the News, Crop Wild Relatives, Banana, Food Security
