&gt; Over the past decade, 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. The big banana companies have been slow to finance efforts to find either a cure for the fungus or a banana that resists it. Nor has enough been done to aid efforts to diversify the world’s banana crop by preserving little-known varieties of the fruit that grow in Africa and Asia.<p>It astounds me that Big Banana has been &quot;slow&quot; to react, given that &quot;By 1960, the Gros Michel was essentially extinct and the banana industry nearly bankrupt&quot;!