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Bronson Christian

Dr. Kays

ENG 102-06

4/27/2017

Assignment 4: Short Research Essay. Could banana extinction destroy the United States

economy?

A commonly held belief is Americans are the number one consumers in the world.

Constant is the amount of fruits, veggies, clothes, toys and other goods imported to the united

states from other countries. A distinguished popular fruit is the banana. The banana is a very

practical fruit; one selects a banana, peels it, then bites it. Not only is the banana a convenient

food to pick up and take on the go it also has an extensive shelf life, meaning a bunch of bananas

can be placed on the coffee table, sit there for a week or two, and not rot. Convenience sells just

as much as necessity: the banana is a convenient food therefore it has and will continue to be

sold successfully. Outside of practicality and convenience the banana has numerous health

benefits. Bananas have been linked to reduced depression, preventing heart disease, and relieving

upset stomachs (Writer, 2016). The banana has been a staple of the United states and as faced a

lot of challenges in the past. Before I attempt to answer the question of could banana extinction

destroy the united states economy I will inquiry about the history and challenges the banana has

had in its relationship with the united states.

According to The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica, the appealing fruit is believed to

have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia, Alexander the Great documented spotting them

on his voyage to India (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). From there the banana traveled

from Southeast Asia, to the Middle East then eventually to Africa. Eventually the beloved snack
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landed in the hands of the botanist Thomas Johnson in his Holborn shop in 1633, the first-time

London had ever laid eyes on a banana in public (Warmer, 1998). Fast forward to the Gros

Michel. At one point the Gros Michel was the most popular banana ever to hit the shelves,

people loved it sweet taste and compact size. However, this banana no longer exists because of

the acclaimed Panama disease. Unfortunately, the banana is a weak fruit, susceptible to disease

and other infections. Panama disease attacks the stem, working its way up to the bunches of

bananas and spreading from bunch to bunch, plantation to plantation, until eventually no more

Gros Michels existed. Shockingly Panama disease is carried by humans as well. The dirt from

ones clothes or shoes can carry the disease thereby infecting any surrounding bananas within the

vicinity of that dirt. But not to worry. Although the Gros Michel species is gone, the Cavendish

has taken its place. The Cavendish is now consumed by everyone along with other strands of

bananas but now the Cavendish also faces extinction because of the Tropical Race 4, a strain of

Panama disease. Tropical Race 4 works the same way, quickly spreading from plantation to

plantation eliminating the Cavendish. While farmers like Juan Aguilar are working on a separate

strain of banana to counteract the disease, the challenge is painstaking. Not only do farmers have

to harvest what little seeds they can, they also have to crossbreed the banana, send a sample to

another organization to test its resistance, and make sure that it can be marketed in groceries

stores meaning the banana cannot bruise and it must have an extensive shelf life (PBS News

Hour, 2016). Bananas are consumed by the U.S. populous on a daily basis, but cannot manage

these diseases constantly wiping them out. Is there a solution to prevent existing bananas species

from going extinct? No because the banana is easily infected and the disease is almost

impossible to stop. But new strand can be constantly produced to be immune from the disease

until the disease evolves and wipes out the strain of banana forcing another strand of banana be
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created. Now the focus is on: can the united states survive without bananas? What would be the

financial ramifications for no bananas?

If the Cavendish banana were to be wiped out, everything would be fine. There are still

one hundred fifty plus species of bananas to pull from. But, if all the species of bananas were to

be wiped out, the United States would be facing an entirely different beast. The innards of a

banana peel can be used for polishing silverware, whitening teeth, removing splinters, and even

wart removal. Without the banana, these health benefits would not be easily achieved and the

overall health of the average American would likely decrease dramatically. The average

household spends eighty-eight dollars on bananas annually, that is more than the twenty-six spent

on oranges or the sixty-one dollars spent on apples meaning Americans do rely heavily on the

benefits of bananas (Pike, 2013). Another element to take into account is the fact that Americans

love dessert. Bananas are used to make a wide array of desserts i.e. banana pudding, banana split,

cheesecake, and muffins. According to Bruce Horovitz 40% of consumers surveyed say they're

eating desserts after a meal at least twice weekly (Horovitz, 2013). Not only would America

lose amazing health benefits but they would also have to bid adieu to a major sweet tooth of

theirs. America would be a mess without the banana. Bananas might not be the number one

backbone of the United states but they certainly do provide a surplus of support to American

produce. In response to my research question: could banana extinction destroy the united states?

The short answer is no. I do not believe banana extinction would destroy the economy of

the united states. Yes, bananas represent a major force in the produce industry of the united states

and they are a convenient fruit for the average American to pick up and consume. However, it is

highly unlikely that bananas would go extinct because: there are a wide variety of different

strains, farmers are developing Panama disease resistant bananas, and the United States does rely
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on bananas so heavily so they will do as much as possible to prevent the extinction. Additionally,

there are a plethora of other fruits to eat and rely on such as apples and oranges. However, I feel

as though I have obtained a good answer, my research would be more complete with the aid of

more statistics and information related to the origin of bananas. One of the most challenging

elements of my research paper was obtaining the relevant statistics. I am not entirely sure why

more simple statistics are unavailable but perhaps with different resources I could answer the

question more fully. There are definitely more factors to be considered in the evaluation of

Americas economic destruction in the wake of a world without bananas. More questions I would

need to ask include: what has been Americas past with extinct produce? What is the primary

means of support for Americas economy? Which food is the most popular in American

consumption? Where do the majority of these foods come from? How are the most popular foods

imported and how long are they keep before being deemed inedible? What defines destroying an

economy? All the previous questions are relevant and supportive to my argument. With more

time and resources, I think I could give a more thorough answer but as for now it still stands that

banana extinction alone would not destroy the economy of the united states because it does not

have the propensity nor the merit to obliterate American economics.

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Works Cited

Horovitz, Bruce. "Americans Eating More Desserts More Often." USA Today. Gannett Satellite

Information Network, 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 04 May 2017.

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. "Banana." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia

Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 04 May 2017

The End of Bananas as We Know Them? Prod. PBS News Hour. Perf. Juan Fernando

Aguilar. Youtube. PBS News Hour, 22 Jan. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.

Pike, Chris. "Bananas Top the Shopping List for Many Kiwis." Home. Acting Government

Statistician, 10 July 2013. Web. 04 May 2017.

Warner, Marina. "BIOGRAPHY OF THE BANANA." The Independent. Independent Digital

News and Media, 17 Oct. 1998. Web. 04 May 2017.

Writer, Leaf Group. Importance of Eating Bananas. Healthy Eating. Safe Gate, 07 Oct. 2016.

Web. 03 May 2017