Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas

Part 1 Banana production and its challenges
1.The origin, domestication and dispersal of bananas: Hugo Volkaert, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand;
2.Understanding the banana industry: monoculture and beyond: Dan Koeppel, Independent Journalist and Researcher, USA;
3.Banana cultivation in Africa: W. K. Tushemereirwe and J. Kubiriba, National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Uganda;
4.Challenges and opportunities for smallholders in banana value chains: William Tinzaara, Bioversity International, Uganda; Dietmar Stoian, Bioversity International, France, Walter Ocimati, Enoch Kikulwe and Gloria Otieno, Bioversity International, Uganda; and Guy Blomme, Bioversity International, Ethiopia;

Part 2 Improving practices across the banana value chain
5.A functional approach to bunch formation in banana: D. W. Turner, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Australia; and D. J. Gibbs, Consultant, Australia;
6.Banana plant propagation methods: Sharon D. Hamill, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia;
7.Conserving banana germplasm through field genebanks: Mike Smith, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia;
8.Good agricultural practices: an end or a starting point for more sustainable banana production?: Charles Staver, Bioversity International, France;
9.Challenges in cultivation of bananas in the subtropics: Víctor Galán Saúco, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Spain;
10.Nutrition and soil management in banana cultivation: Jetse J. Stoorvogel, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Rafael A. Segura, CORBANA S.A., Costa Rica;
11.Harvesting and packaging of bananas: Juan José Aycart, Dole, Ecuador;
12.Ripening systems for bananas: Frits Popma, Popma Fruit Expertise, The Netherlands;

Part 3 Assessing and improving sustainability
13.Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of banana cultivation: Louis Bockel, Laure-Sophie Schiettecatte and Orane Debrune, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Italy;
14.Sustainable banana cultivation: from standards to multiple solutions: Sietze Vellema and Kees Jansen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands;
15.Organic banana cultivation and sustainability: Frans Wielemaker, Consultant (formerly Director of Research at Dole Fresh Fruit International), Costa Rica;