Safeguarding the future of bananas - Strengthening national capacities and partnerships to protect banana production

Bananas are a lifeline for millions of smallholder farmers in Africa and worldwide, with over 1 000 varieties produced, traded, and consumed locally. However, destructive diseases such as Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) pose a serious threat to both agricultural investments and the livelihoods of farmers.

Training programs, collaborations and raising awareness are a crucial part of the response to TR4 disease. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is spearheading efforts to combat TR4 and BBTV by providing extensive training in both affected and unaffected countries, with a focus on preventive measures to strengthen national and regional preparedness. 

Preparedness and prevention – improving early detection

Given the high risk of further spread, countries are urged to take immediate preventive action. FAO training sessions have brought together regional and national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) across the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, and the Near East. The plant health experts have been equipped with the necessary skills to detect, diagnose, and contain banana diseases. The sessions also cover emergency preparedness and the development of contingency plans.

″These diseases place a tremendous burden on affected countries, and their spread must be contained,″ emphasized FAO plant health expert Maged Elkahky, adding, ″Prevention is key to securing the future of bananas.″

Additionally, awareness materials have been developed to educate the public on the prevention and management of TR4. The sessions have provided a platform for exchange of good practices and information in TR4 management among the countries.

Building capacity to facilitate knowledge sharing across countries 

TR4 was first identified in the Union of the Comoros by the plant protection officer who had received training from FAO in South Africa on disease identification and sampling protocols. Upon arrival in the Comoros, the plant protection officer promptly carried out field inspections in Ngazidja, Mwali, and Ndzouani to investigate the rapidly yellowing leaves of farmers' banana plants and the wilting of the Cavendish banana variety. The collected samples were sent to the Stellenbosch University laboratory, a longstanding FAO partner in Africa. After thorough analysis, the presence of Fusarium TR4 was confirmed on the Island.

″The identification of Fusarium TR4 in Comoros was alarming due to its persistence in the soil and the severe damage it inflicts on banana plantations our country simply cannot afford,″ said Hamza Abdou Azali, Comoros plant protection scientist and a head of NPPO of Comoros.

The disease spread throughout Grande Comoros, Anjouan, and Moheli, affecting half of the banana population. With no other option, farmers had to uproot their plants, resulting in significant yield and income losses for communities reliant on banana farming.

"FAO training sessions were invaluable," said Hamza, who attended one of the sessions for the Southern Africa region. "We gained the knowledge to diagnose the disease and the skills to develop contingency plans, which were crucial in the containment response during the TR4 outbreak in the Comoros."

According to FAO data, banana (all varieties), is the most important crop in terms of total production in the Comoros with an estimated annual production of 6 338 tonnes.

The impact of Fusarium TR4 on bananas cannot be overstated. In Africa, Mozambique reported the first case in 2013, and it has since spread to the Comoros Islands. Unlike other plant diseases that can be controlled with conventional means or crop rotation, Fusarium TR4 can survive in the soil for decades, making eradication nearly impossible. Once a farm is infected, banana production in that area is completely lost.

Participants during the field and laboratory diagnosis of Fusarium TR4 trainings for Africa. The countries were encouraged to invest in prevention measures and collaborate on effective disease management strategies. Left/Right: ©FAO/Maged Elkahky

Strengthening biosecurity measures

Meanwhile, Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), caused by the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), is another banana devastating disease that leads to severe stunting, leaf bunching, and the eventual total loss of the infested plants. Spread by banana aphids and infected planting materials, BBTD has already infiltrated Tanzania, and several West and Central African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon.

In Tanzania, banana farming is vital to both the economy and local culture. However, before the FAO training, plant officers lacked a full understanding of the Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD)’s impact.

The training sessions provided plant officers with holistic plant health emergency preparedness – from diagnostics to surveillance and management of the banana diseases. ©FAO/Maged Elkahky

Plant health matters

To enhance country-level preparedness, FAO introduced the Progressive Pathway for Emergency Preparedness (PPEP), a self-assessment tool designed to help nations evaluate their capacity to manage plant disease outbreaks effectively. Countries in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa have been equipped with the skills to use the tool.

″Rapid and efficient response to plant health threats and emergencies saves lives, promotes recovery and reduces the gap between dependency on food assistance and self-reliance Fleur Wouterse, Deputy Director, FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER).

Beyond Africa, the fight against TR4 is also gaining momentum in the Caribbean. Banana-producing nations such as Saint Lucia, Jamaica, and Belize have participated in FAO-led training programs to strengthen biosecurity measures and conduct risk assessments.

″Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable to external shocks and climate-related changes, including the exacerbation and spread of plant pathogenic diseases like Fusarium TR4,″ said Jean Baptiste Kemuel, Chief of Extension and Rural Advisory Services at Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources, and Cooperatives.

Building partnerships for a more resilient banana

FAO has also strengthened regional alliances with organizations such as the African Union’s Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC) and international research institutions like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Stellenbosch University. These partnerships play a crucial role in protecting the banana industry.

″Collaboration is key,″ said Shoki Al-Dobai, FAO’s Team Leader for Locusts and Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases. ″We are working to ensure that countries are prepared to prevent the introduction of Fusarium TR4 and manage it effectively where it is already reported.″

Through knowledge sharing, strategic partnerships, and emergency actions, countries and their partners remain committed to protecting this vital crop for a resilient banana sector. The fight against banana Fusarium wilt TR4 and BBTD is far from over, but the battle to safeguard the future of bananas has already begun.