The most popular fruit

Bananas are among the most produced, traded and consumed fruits globally. More than 1 000 varieties of bananas exist in the world, which provide vital nutrients to populations in producing and importing countries alike. The most traded variety is the Cavendish banana, which accounts for just under half of global production at an estimated annual production volume of 50 million tonnes. Bananas are particularly significant in some of the least developed and low-income, food-deficit countries, where they can contribute not only to household food security as a staple but also to income generation as a cash crop.