Could The Future Of Bananas Be In Jeopardy?

From Harambe and the western lowland gorillas, to Cecil and the African lions, over the past few years, there’s been a renewed focus on the status of many endangered species. And while the majority of these endangered species are forms of wildlife, some of them may reside a little closer to home — or, as a matter of fact, inside your home.

Like bananas, for instance.

In tragic news, it appears that the future of bananas is in jeopardy, due to a “three-fungus disease complex” known as Sigatoka, which has already wiped out 40% of banana output, as researchers at UC Davis report. This is an alarmingly large portion of bananas eliminated in such a short period of time. According to Pat Bailey of UC Davis, bananas could very well disappear in as little as 10 years if this fungus is not addressed — and taken seriously.

To try and combat the fungus, farmers are now taking a more active approach to preventing its growth. Oftentimes this will equate to 50 or more fungicide applications to banana crops each calendar year. And this process isn’t cheap. As Bailey explains, fungicide applications can account for 30–35% of all banana production costs. For many farmers, this type of expenditure is simply not in the budget, and as a result, their banana crops — and entire incomes — take a massive hit. Even for those farmers with a bigger budget who can afford the expensive fungicide treatments, applying them still presents a hazard to humans — as most fungicides and pesticides do.

If you’re the type of person who enjoys a banana cut up in your cereal every morning, it might be time to start thinking about life after bananas. Ten years can go by pretty quickly,. What will we top our cold cereal with in 2026?