Theres a Global Banana Crisis

Instruction: Read a news article about the current banana crisis affecting Asian and
Latin American banana plantations.
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/19/news/bananas-banana-crisis-disease/
After you have read the article, answer the question below. Answer in COMPLETE
sentences. Each answer should be 2-3 sentences.

1. What is the Panama Disease?

- It is a fungal disease, that mostly effect the Cavendish banana. It another
name is Fusarium wilt. It will affect the banana tree root system. The fungal
disease is the Fusarium Oxysporum pathogen. This pathogen is resist to the
fungicide, so it can t be control chemically.

2. What species of banana is the most impacted by the spread of Panama

Disease?
- Cavendish Banana

3. What impact will the decrease of this species have on the countries it is
grown in?
- The country that grow Cavendish banana need to create the way and prevent
the disease to come in and destroy their banana. And if their country banana
is already contaminated, then it cant be export to other country and cause
the farmer to grow other types of plant due to the disease and stay in the dirt
for more than 40 years. Farmer wont sell the contaminated product so they
will neither out of business or dont have money for this year

4. What impact will this have on the countries it is exported to?

- The country that it exports to wont have this type of banana to eat any more
and the uncontaminated banana price will increase due to high demand but
low supply.

5. In your own words describe the impact of Panama Disease on the

environment and economics. Use information learned about biodiversity in
your answer.
- This disease will wipe out the banana that get infect and will make the famer
that grown only this type of banana(monoculture) out of business and
increase price for the uncontaminated banana due to high demand but low
supply.
6. In the 1960s another species of banana was wiped out by the same disease.
Describe the history of this banana. What happened to this banana?
- The Gros Michel banana is taste better, last longer than the Cavendish but it
gets wiped out because the disease. The Gros Michel also more resilient and
didn't require artificial ripening. It remains export until 1965, which the
panama disease destroys it and makes it undergo extinction.

7. What was the solution to this disease in the 1960s? Was this a good solution?
Why or why not?
- The solution is Cavendish banana, I think that the solution is bad because
they cannot cure the disease but they just use other banana species that
immune to the disease which not taste as good as the Gros Michel and it is
hard to shipping. Also, because they just replacing the new one it increases
the chance for the disease to mutation and harm the new banana species.

8. What is the solution to the disease now?

- Banana scientist and grower create new banana that might replace the
Cavendish but it creates new disease which cause Asia production to
collapse.

9. Based on what you have learned about monocultures, biodiversity, and

evolution, predict what will happen if a new resistant banana is developed
and this one new species is the only type of banana grown for export to
Western countries.
- The monoculture which low in biodiversity have less evolution so the specie
will undergo extinction. If the resistant banana is created then it price will be
very high if it tastes as well as the Gros Michel one.

10.What is a better solution to the banana crisis?

- The best solution is high biodiversity of the banana species so the banana
might have the resistant trait to the disease.