I like eating bananas and, since coming to live in Gran Canaria, I am now a passionate advocate for this humble fruit, which, incidentally, is also called “the fruit of the wise”. From a health point of view, it really is a wonderful addition to the weekly shopping list, as it contains vitamins and minerals essential for the human body. Bananas contain Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre, but do not contain sodium, fat or cholesterol. Bananas also contain three natural sugars, sucrose, fructose and glucose and gives an instant and substantial boost of energy. They also contain Vitamin B6, which helps protect the immune system and the functioning of the central nervous system. Pretty good stuff, eh?
Yes, I like bananas. Not those perfectly shaped and tasteless Caribbean Eurobanana varieties that grace the shelves of the UK supermarkets, but that gem of all bananas - the Canarian banana. Small and sometimes misshapen they may be, but the creamy yellow flesh and sweet taste makes them very special.
Maybe I am just a little biased, because after all, I am surrounded by them. However, 18% of all the bananas eaten in Europe are produced in the Canary Islands, and very important to the islands’ economy they are too. Amazingly, around 10 million banana plants are grown in Gran Canaria each year - that is a lot of bananas for one small island, and this produces an awful lot of waste.
In the past, banana plant waste was used as a support for growing the equally popular tomato plants, and in crafts such as basket making and artificial flowers. The plant waste was also used as fodder for cattle and goats, but factory farming has replaced this with concentrated feeds. Today, this vegetable waste is deposited in ravines on the islands where they naturally decompose. An estimated 25,000 tonnes each year of natural fibre is found in this waste. Indeed, what a waste!
Not any more, it seems. The European Union is currently funding something called the ‘Badana Project’. This imaginative scheme is focused upon developing a process that will convert this natural organic waste into plastics that will be suitable for making cars, washing machines and kayaks, to name just a few of the intended uses.
It appears that there is money in banana waste too. Judging from the list of organisations sponsoring the project with the European Union, along with universities in the Canary Islands, Spain and Belfast, and companies from the Canary Islands, Spain, the Netherlands, Hungary, Bulgaria and the UK. The old truism, “Where there’s muck there’s money”, springs to mind. Maybe it should now read, “Where there’s bananas there’s plastic.”
Just a few more facts about the humble banana. The word banana is derived from the Arab word "banan," which means finger and, unlike most other fruits that grow on trees, bananas grow on plants.
Incidentally, the word ‘badana’ from the ‘Badana Project’ really is the fibre obtained from layers of the banana stem and not just ‘banana’ spluttered by a European Union official with a bad head cold!
If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie’s websites: www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com or read his latest novel, ‘Journeys and Jigsaws’ (ISBN: 9781843865384).
© Barrie Mahoney
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Eat bananas so you can prevent certain health problems. It contains potassium which is really good for our health.
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