“Some farmers in Colombia, where García-Bastidas grew up, sent him photos of their banana plants two months ago. The plants were turning yellow and wilting, as if they didn’t have water. García-Bastidas recognized the symptoms. He’d seen them before, in devastated banana plantations in the Philippines. These are the effects of a fungus called Fusarium. But the implications were devastating, and García-Bastidas hoped he was wrong.” NPR: A Devastating Banana Fungus Arrives In Colombia, Threatening The Fruit’s Future. “Colombian authorities have declared a national emergency and launched efforts to contain the fungus. Banana growers are destroying all banana plants anywhere near a plant that shows symptoms. They may be too late, though.”