A virulent fungal disease that attacks bananas “is now on a global conquest,” says Quartz. “Since 2013, the lethal fungus has jumped continents, ravaging crops in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.” It’s only a matter of time before Panama disease, as the fungus is known, reaches Latin America, the world’s major banana-growing region. “In other words, the days of the iconic yellow fruit are numbered,” says Quartz.
In the late 1800s, bananas faced another devastating attack by fungal disease. The industry switched to a resistant cultivar, which now is under attack by disease. “Most bananas are grown by small-time farmers in the many poor countries where they’re a staple crop,” says Quartz, so Panama disease is a threat to farmers in poor countries.