BANANA RESEARCH

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Bananas are not just a food crop, they have huge industrial potential if opportunities are well exploited. As a matter of fact, banana as one of the 10 priority national food crops in the NDP with its vision to “A Transformed Ugandan Society from a Peasantto a Modern and Prosperous Country within 30 years."  While Australia is not Uganda this by itself should not be the reason to ignore 'the banana's' potential as a 'food crop' in the way that it is clearly, and somewhat arrogantly, being ignored by by 'banana growers' in Australia. Given their largely Eurocentric heritage this may not be all that surprising.

Then comes what is all too often past of as research is initiated by 'the industry'. Consequently, it seems much of it hardly qualifies as 'research' leading to new and better understandings. Since the growing of bananas is an important agricultural activity and the banana plant is an important 'food source' there is a need for more research that leads to new and better understandings of its potential.

RESEARCH is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it leads to new and creative outcomes. This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and experimental development (R&D) as comprising of creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. 

This definition of research encompasses pure and strategic basic research, applied research and experimental development. Applied research is original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge and that includes 'client driven' investigations.

INDUSTRIAL BANANA GROWING impacts upon CULTURALlandscapes and as often as not dynamically when it is grown as a MONOculture crop. Furthermore, as a 'fruit/berry' it figures large in Eurocentric cultural expressions but as a 'plant' as a 'food and fibre source' in Australia its potential remains largely unexplored territory.