Fairtrade International's virtual banana sends climate change message to UN delegates

Craving a virtual banana? Fairtrade International has the market cornered.

At this year’s U.N. Climate Conference in Egypt, also known as COP27, Fairtrade International has invited fruit and art enthusiasts to enjoy a banana in the metaverse.

Riffing on a recent art trend to sell art virtually through non-fungible tokens, called NFTs, Fairtrade International unveiled its art activation, “The Last Banana,” or non-fungible banana — an NFB, if you will — as a playful stunt, according to a news release.

The virtual banana spotlights the threat Fairtrade International believes climate change poses to future fruit and vegetable production. The punchline? If we don’t mitigate climate change soon, virtual bananas will be the only bananas we’ll have left on the planet, according to Fairtrade International.

“‘The Last Banana’ is Fairtrade’s call to the world that if we don’t step up and achieve inclusive and equitable climate solutions with farmers and agricultural workers at the center of climate action, we risk losing our favorite food products forever,” Melissa Duncan, executive director at Fairtrade International, said in the release.

With an estimated global export value of $7 billion dollars per year, bananas are likely one of the most essential, as the banana trade remains the cornerstone of many countries’ economies, according to Fairtrade International.

According to a 2021 Fairtrade International climate change study, dramatic weather patterns spurred by climate change will likely deliver severe blows to agricultural production in key regions around the world, including Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions. Banana producers in the Caribbean and in Central America, for example, are expected to face less rainfall and more extreme temperatures, while those in Southeast Asia and Oceania regions will see an increased risk of tropical cyclones.

“Farmers and workers are not only on the frontline of the climate crisis, but they also have critical know-how that can mitigate and address climate risks for the benefit of humanity,” Duncan said in the release. “If governments fail to include them in the COP27 outcome and empower them to be the custodians of our planet’s food supply, the only future for one of the world’s most popular fruits may very well be a digital NFB.”

The virtual NFB will be on view during COP27 as a message from Fairtrade International to visiting delegates, underscoring that the future of the global food system is at stake in climate decisions and commitments. The non-fungible banana differs from a traditional non-fungible token as it’s not commercially accessible and doesn’t rely on energy-intensive production.

“The unveiling of a Non-Fungible Banana is a powerful way for us to remind everyone — from global leaders to consumers — that they cannot take their favorite foods for granted. The current climate crisis could very well mean that the last banana is not too far away,” Juan Pablo Solis, Fairtrade International’s senior advisor for climate and environment, said in the release.

"The Last Banana" will be accessible to audiences in Fairtrade organizations around the world and in an NFB’s virtual gallery space online. Visit Fairtrade International’s “The Last Banana” virtual gallery space.