Wednesday Dining: Yes, We Have No Bannanas

Say what you like about the questionable carbon neutrality of organic foods, I'm up for anything that cuts into the market share of monocultures. Dan Koeppel's op-ed today doesn't just condemn the competition-suppressing, democracy-squashing actions of the banana cartel on a moral level, but on a practical level.

Unlike apple and orange growers, banana importers sell only a single variety of their fruit, the Cavendish...however, a new, more virulent strain of Panama disease has begun to spread across the world, and this time the Cavendish is not immune. The fungus is expected to reach Latin America in 5 to 10 years, maybe 20.

So, it turns out environmentally destructive decisions often bite you in the ass. Who knew.

I just hope this actually results in Chiquita et alis actually funding seed banks and heritage crops.