Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1

Part 1 Banana production and its challenges
1.The origin, domestication and dispersal of bananas: Hugo Volkaert, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand; 
2.Understanding the banana industry: monoculture and beyond: Dan Koeppel, Independent Journalist and Researcher, USA; 
3.Banana cultivation in Africa: W. K. Tushemereirwe and J. Kubiriba, National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Uganda; 
4.Challenges and opportunities for smallholders in banana value chains: William Tinzaara, Bioversity International, Uganda; Dietmar Stoian, Bioversity International, France, Walter Ocimati, Enoch Kikulwe and Gloria Otieno, Bioversity International, Uganda; and Guy Blomme, Bioversity International, Ethiopia; 

Part 2 Improving practices across the banana value chain
5.A functional approach to bunch formation in banana: D. W. Turner, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Australia; and D. J. Gibbs, Consultant, Australia; 
6.Banana plant propagation methods: Sharon D. Hamill, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia; 
7.Conserving banana germplasm through field genebanks: Mike Smith, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia; 
8.Good agricultural practices: an end or a starting point for more sustainable banana production?: Charles Staver, Bioversity International, France; 
9.Challenges in cultivation of bananas in the subtropics: Víctor Galán Saúco, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Spain; 
10.Nutrition and soil management in banana cultivation: Jetse Stoorvogel, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; 
11.Harvesting and packaging of bananas: Juan José Aycart, Dole, Ecuador; 
12.Ripening systems for bananas: Fritz Popma, Popma Fruit Expertise, The Netherlands; 

Part 3 Assessing and improving sustainability 
13.Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of banana cultivation: Louis Bockel, Laure-Sophie Schiettecatte and Orane Debrune, FAO, Italy; 
14.Sustainable banana cultivation: from standard to multiple solutions: Sietze Vellema and Kees Jansen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; 
15.Organic banana cultivation and sustainability: Frans Wielemaker, Consultant (formerly Director of Research at Dole Fresh Fruit International), Costa Rica;