The Working Group 01 (WG01) contributes to a better understanding of the main issues related to banana production and the development of a road map to improve environmental sustainability by reducing environmental impact in those production systems.

Objectives

• Conduct and facilitate projects to promote environmental sustainability in banana production systems.
• Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, continuously identify and address key sustainability challenges in banana production and trade, focusing on reducing environmental impact, optimizing resource use, and tackling climate change.
• Collect and disseminate knowledge on environmental sustainability and related challenges in banana production systems.
• Showcase best practices and strategies through technical webinars and thematic sessions focused on climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable plastic management and  genetic diversity in banana production systems.
• Support banana-producing countries and organizations in measuring and reducing  carbon and water footprints through the CWF Initiative. 
• Set up collaborative pilot projects to boost the impacts of innovation and learn from the actions and lessons
• Advocate for the adoption of agroecological practices, including sustainable soil management, banana genetic diversity and biological control of pests and diseases
• Share relevant information and insights with other Working Groups within the WBF and with external partners
• Leveraging the expertise of the TR4 Task Force, the TR4 Global Network, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Plant Protection and Production Division (NSP) in FAO, help contain the spread of Fusarium Tropical race 4 (TR4) through information sharing, raising awareness, and coordinated efforts at global, regional, and national levels.

Priorities and Activities

1. Carbon and Water Footprint Initiative: The WBF and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) completed the first project phase, creating a methodological guide for measuring carbon and water footprints using a value chain approach. In the second phase, the WBF developed and tested an online tool to improve GHG accounting in the banana industry, with training sessions held in five Central American countries. The third phase expanded the tool's reach to eight countries while updating its design and associated training materials.
2. Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation Subgroup: The WBF, along with former members of the Action Alliance for Sustainable Bananas (ABNB), launched the Subgroup to promote climate change mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation in banana supply chains. Serving as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, the Subgroup will encourage stakeholder commitment to adopting science-based sustainable practices throughout the value chain.
3. Fusarium Tropical race 4 (TR4): The WBF and the TR4 Task Force launched the TR4 Global Network (TR4GN), a key platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing to prevent the spread of the fungus. The TR4GN facilitates global events like webinars and conferences, supports project development, and gathers and distributes tools, information, and training resources to raise awareness and enhance efforts to contain TR4.
4. Agroecology and Water Management Subgroup: The objective is to share technical knowledge and experiences on agroecological, organic, and polyculture farming methods, along with climate change adaptation strategies. The consensus within WG01 is that chemically reliant conventional monoculture banana production is not sustainable, and that alternative agroecological methods of production need to be developed and implemented.
5. Portal on sustainable agricultural practices: The WBF and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) developed an online portal dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices. This platform provides insights, showcasing diverse experiences and success stories from around the world.