Exploring the fate of the banana… @melvillehouse #FUTURES #20BOS26 Book 8

It’s probably fair to say that bananas are something which most of us take for granted. A staple in the fruit and veg aisle, we’re used to them being readily available and most likely never think about the processes which have to be gone through to get the popular curved fruit to our tables. However, the humble banana we know and love, the Cavendish, is only one of the many (over 1000 I believe!) varieties around the world – and it’s under threat. In this fascinating new book from Melville House Press, James Dale takes a sobering look at “The Future of Bananas”. Dale is well placed to explore the subject; a distinguished academic, he’s been involved in biotechnology research for over 30 years, with a specific focus on bananas. He opens the book with a fascinating history of these fruits, their cultivation, how they began to be imported into Europe and the vagaries of breeding them over the centuries. As I mentioned, there are absolutely tons of varieties of the fruits around the…