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Climate Change's New Vital Crop: Bananas

Warming to force farmers to switch away from spuds

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2012 1:08 AM CDT | Updated Nov 3, 2012 7:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – As the planet gets warmer, farmers are going to have to give up on certain crops and people are going to have to get used to radically changed diets, according to a new report. Agricultural experts predict that harvests of maize, rice, and wheat are set to fall in many developing countries. The potato grows best in cooler climates and experts believe the banana will become a vital source for millions as farmers in many areas are forced to switch crops, the BBC reports.

The banana is "not necessarily a silver bullet but there may be places where as temperatures increase, bananas might be one option that smallholders could start to look at," one of the report's authors says. Other crops expected to play a more important role in the world's food supply in years to come are cassava, which is tough enough to cope with most climate conditions, and the drought-tolerant cowpea, a source of protein known as "the poor man's meat" in sub-Saharan Africa.

A Nigerian woman processes cassava root into flour.
A Nigerian woman processes cassava root into flour.   (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)
A Sri Lankan woman attends to a banana plant outside her residence .
A Sri Lankan woman attends to a banana plant outside her residence .   (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Many farmers are going to have start planting bananas instead of potatoes, experts say.
Many farmers are going to have start planting bananas instead of potatoes, experts say.   (Cat Quinn)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 71 comments
vlad
Nov 20, 2012 2:53 PM CST
pure bs ! been hearing about banana`s going extinct for at least five years now . actually it`s only one type that`s endangered ! but the fear mongers cant control you if you know the truth !
Naked_Emperor
Nov 4, 2012 12:52 PM CST
Oh yes we have some bananas. We have some bananas today. Pasteles....Yum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteles
ObamaliberalsSuck
Nov 4, 2012 11:58 AM CST
 according to a new report. Wow, Now a liberal rag is telling you/we what they THINK WILL be a problem and IT IS EXCEPTED AS NEWS?? This piece is and opinion piece, nothing more, Prove to me that Rice will not grow in Thailand, potatoes in US, beets in Russia , etc...  we will then have a problem. Otherwise , this is an opinion of one person or one report.
 

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