Bananas are the world's most popular and most consumed fruit. They are also one of the most important agricultural commodities and food staples for hundreds of millions of people around the world.

The fruit is also in danger of going extinct.

The Panama Disease or TR-4 is threatening the most widely exported variety of the banana, the Cavendish. It makes up 99 percent of global banana exports, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. But it's vulnerable to an aggressive fungal disease that is invading areas where most of the banana supply is produced.

And it's happened before. Until the 1950s, consumers were eating a different variety of banana before it succumbed to an invading fungal disease. Now scientists are racing against the clock to save the banana – again.

We discuss what's being done to save the world's favorite fruit.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy