Blog Tour: The Future of Bananas, James Dale

I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for this book, thank you to Melville House for having me.

Whats it about?

The most eaten fruit in the world is facing possible extinction. While there are thousands of banana varieties, only one has become the West’s favourite – the Cavendish: our familiar curvy, yellow-skinned, seedless fruit. But our obsession with the Cavendish has come at a cost. Years of selection and humankinds’ migration across the world has left the Cavendish susceptible to disease and climate change. How can we save the future of the banana? Professor James Dale is leading the way. Based at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, he and his team have developed the world’s first genetically modified banana to be approved for commercial production. Based on the latest research and technological developments, from gene editing, cisgenics, AI design and biofortifiction, Dale shows how we could save the banana, while bringing to life its colourful history – the lucrative banana industry has resulted in political coups, drug trafficking and even murder. Bananageddon can be prevented, Dale argues, if the world is ready to embrace a new future led by scientific change.

Bobs and Books honest review:

I have been a supporter of this series for a long time, and this is yet another great addition. An expert author guiding us through this subject. This one did seem a bit more technical and scientific, presumably by the very nature of the subject. But it was very insightful, and I learnt a lot.

I love how I've gone from reading The Future of Fraud to The Future of Bananas - this shows how this series constantly changes and there really is something for everyone.

Out now. The Future of Bananas: Amazon.co.uk: James Dale: 9781911545811: Books

About the author:

JAMES DALE is a Distinguished Professor and the inaugural Director of the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. He has been involved in biotechnology research for more than thirty years with a specific interest in bananas. James and his team have created the world’s first genetically modified banana approved for commercial production, called QCAV-4. He has lead research projects in Asia, Africa and South America, and has received many awards recognising his work including the Companion of the Order of Australia. This is his first book.