OR climate change It is expected to reduce banana cultivation areas in many major production countries, while increasing the exposure of workers to extreme temperatures. This will result in a rapid decrease in banana producers’ ability to supply the rest of the world with this favorite fruit.

The above finds a study, led by Universitypublished in the journal Nature Food.

The researchers developed a new method using satellite images to map bananas in Latin America and the Caribbean in very high resolution and then appreciated the mood under which bananas were cultivated. Found that countries such as Colombia and the Costa Ricawill be more negatively affected, as they are expected to be very warm for optimal cultivation. Ecuador and parts of Brazilian It is one of the few areas that will remain important producers, as climate change is projected to be less serious there.

As researchers note, they will be financially unsustainable by 2080 for many areas throughout Latin America and Caribbean continue to cultivate bananas for export due to increasing temperatures caused by climate change.

The bananas It is a basic export farming worth $ 11 billion annually and is vital to the economies of many countries. However, in just over half a century, 60% of areas that produce bananas today will find it difficult to cultivate the fruit unless there are emergency interventions to tackle climate change.

The study also found that socio -economic factors, such as the availability of workforce and infrastructure, significantly reduce climate change adaptation. The largest banana production is done near densely populated areas and ports, limiting the possibilities of relocation to more suitable areas.

Researchers propose various adaptation strategies, including the expansion of irrigation infrastructure, heat -resistant reproduction and drought banana and producers’ support for the management of climate risk.