Banana is a staple in many developing countries, providing a source of income and food for
millions. Bioversity International and our partners in the Banana Research Network for
Eastern and Southern Africa (BARNESA) play a key role ensuring that in Africa the cultivars
and landraces of banana are secure, disease-free and available so we can keep options open
for the benefit of present and future generations, and help protect the livelihoods of the more
than 400 million people who rely on banana globally.
THE PROBLEM
Over the past decade, banana production in East Asian countries is increasingly under
pressure due to the outbreak of a new, highly virulent strain of banana wilt disease, Tropical
race 4 (TR4), caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysorium cubense (Foc), also known as
Panama Disease. Within the last year, this powerful strain of Panama Disease has spread
from Asia to Mozambique, as well as to Oman and Jordan. There is acute concern of further
spread of this strain to Latin America. The Tropical race 4 strain of Panama Disease is one of
the most damaging banana diseases, potentially causing a dramatic decrease in banana
production and global trade, which would devastate producers’ livelihoods, especially those of
smallholders. Combating this strain of Panama Disease is a critical priority for BARNESA
countries.
In Africa, Panama Disease is spreading at an alarming rate: an example is Matanuska Farm
in northern Mozambique, where the disease is infecting more than 10,000 mats (plant
clusters) per month. A second case, again with rapid infection rates, is reported from the
Jacaranda farm, 240 kilometers away from where the new strain of Panama Disease was first
seen in the country. For Mozambique alone, the estimated rate of infection is 62,000 mats per
year – that is close to 5,000 tons of bananas, worth USD 2.2 million. Unless immediate action
is taken, potential economic losses across Africa could be vast. More than 1 million hectares
under cultivation of African TR4-susceptible bananas are at risk, of which small-scale farmers
hold 90-95%, growing mixed varieties. In economic terms, that is a USD 38 billion loss, borne
mostly by smallholders. These figures do not even begin to estimate the negative impact on
food security and banana biodiversity. Rapid action is needed to halt the disease’s spread.
WHERE IS THE PROBLEM CRITICAL?
BARNESA has zoned countries in Africa into four categories, according to risk:
Figure 1: Risk levels in Africa and current sites of infection, globally
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Bioversity International provides coordination support to BARNESA and in this capacity, the
network requested Bioversity to organize the development of strategies that will combat this
new, virulent strain of Panama Disease in Africa. While there have been efforts by affected
countries to manage the disease by mitigating its effects and preventing its spread, intensified
assistance is required for interventions to succeed in addressing and containing this global
epidemic.
Regional-level strategies must be adopted in order to further prevent this strain of Panama
disease from spreading. These strategies will include:
1. Identifying and prioritizing intervention measures, namely specific measures related to:
a. Massive awareness raising on the threat in high-risk areas, across valuechain actors (from farmers to policy makers)
b. Deploying diagnostic and detection tools linked to trans-boundary information
exchange
c. Strengthening capacity for surveillance and control, linked to mapping
programs
d. Enhancing engagement of policy makers to increase investments for disease
control
e. Strengthening preparedness for disease prevention, including capacity for
detection, containment and eradication; training of farmers in good
agricultural practices, proper sanitation of vehicles, shoes and field
equipment; training of extension staff and production technicians in
advocacy, disease recognition, biology, epidemiology and management.
2. Developing impact pathways for the priority intervention measures, linked to the
identification of indicators for activity and development outcomes.
3. Engaging with partners to mobilize required incremental resources budgeted at
USD 2.5 million over two years, for the current scenario. Without a timely response,
control costs could rise rapidly as well as the costs of the negative impacts on the
livelihoods of rural households affected.
NEXT STEPS
Bioversity International will arrange contribution agreements upon request and ensure
efficient and equitable allocation of resources to implementing partners.
With the support and engagement of partners who believe in supporting this strategy, and
building on our successful track record, in which Bioversity and partners led the arrest of the
banana xanthomonas wilt (BXW) epidemic in 2006-2008, we are confident that we can
prevent this new, devastating strain from spreading. Bioversity International has already
developed a contingency plan to deal with Foc TR4 should it invade Latin America, which
could will complement BARNESA efforts developing concerted actions to contain the spread
in Africa.
Bioversity International is the global research organization working on Panama Disease
Tropical race 4 (TR4) and will be playing a key leading role coordinating work among regional
networks and partners at the World Banana Forum which takes place on 9-10 December
2014 at FAO in Rome.