The Extinction of Bananas

The Panama disease is leading to the extinction of bananas. The Big Mike or also known as the Gros Michael banana were very popular to consumers, but was soon hit by the Panama epidemic after World War II. Americans loved the creamy texture, scrumptious flavor, and thick skin of the Gros Michael bananas. However, “a disease began to ravage banana crops not long after the first banana trees were planted in Central America” (Koeppel xiv-xv). The disease spread like wildfire that it began to kill every plantation, one after the next. The Gros Michael bananas soon became extinct, and led to a new banana in Malyasia. However, the new banana died as well, and scientists discovered that there was a tragic discovery of the infectious disease. “An unknown pathogen was working its way into the roots of the plant, discoloring leaves, and choking off water supplies” (Koeppel xvii), which shocked scientists because the new banana was supposed to be “untouchable.” Scientists wanted to find a way for to preserve the banana and to save it from becoming extinct. “For the past five years, banana scientists have been trying-in a race against time-to modify the fruit to make it resistant to Panama disease” (Koeppel xviii). Consumers do not know that America’s favorite fruit would soon become extinct if scientists do not find a way to help these bananas become resistant to the deadly disease.