MONOCULTURE AND THE FOOD SUPPLY In 2011, scientists announced that the Cavendish banana, the banana that most frequently makes it to American consumers, could be wiped out by a fungus if the fungus reached fields in Latin America where the banana is grown. It had happened before with the Gros Michel banana, which was wiped out between 1906 and 1960 and is no longer grown by farmers. The reason for scientists' concern: monoculture.

Monoculture is a practice common among farmers. In most fields, you will find a single crop and these plants are not very genetically diverse. This means they are less able to adapt to environmental changes and less able to fight off diseases. Many scientists are concerned that the practice of monoculture farming means that many crops, including bananas, may be subject to total loss or even extinction.

Heirloom Plants

One way that scientists think that food supplies can be protected is by using heirloom plants. An heirloom plant is a plant that was once grown by farmers but is not used in modern monoculture farms. Many heirloom plants are more genetically diverse than modern varieties, which mean they are better able to adapt to environmental change. They are also more likely to survive an attack by a pest or infection by a disease or fungus. However, heirloom plants usually do not produce as much food as modern varieties do.

Organic Farming

Organic farming combines older agricultural practices with modern practices and does not involve the use of synthetic materials such as manmade fertilizers and pesticides. It relies on scientific knowledge about the interactions among organisms and about natural materials that can be used to fertilize plants and control pests. Organic farming does not generally involve monoculture, and an organic farm will have many different kinds of crops. Organic farming practices usually reduce the chance of total crop loss, but like heirloom plants, organic farms are often less productive than conventional farms in terms of volume of food.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are organisms that have been genetically engineered by people. Many scientists think that concerns over the risks of monoculture can be alleviated by directly changing the genes of crops. They argue that the crops can be given resistance to pests and disease, can be modified to withstand drought, and can be engineered to produce more food. However, many people are concerned about the safety of GMOs, so they are highly controversial. The technology is new and involves the use of bacteria to insert genetic material, so people are concerned that the organisms may negatively affect human health.

Because of what scientists have learned about monoculture, they are:

not pushing for a change in farming.

asking for legislation mandating GMOs.

suggesting ways to protect food supplies.

telling farmers they need to grow fewer kinds of crops.