All ethical thoughts aside for a moment (most of this article actually made me sad), is there any remaining strain of the Gros Michel?
Seems to me from the articles’ tone like the Cavendish was more of an inferior stopgap solution. If we start genetic fixing bananas, doesn‘t it make sense to start on the „better model“?
I think that's a great idea, but economically all the investment right now is probably in saving the Cavendish banana. Not only is that what modern customers are familiar with but it's also what the industry is set up to produce.
However, it that succeeds, perhaps it will inspire people to duplicate the feat with the Big Mike / Gros Michel. And inspire investment to back that, both for profit potential from a "new" product and for insurance in case some new problem befalls the Cavendish.
But I'd bet investors don't want to divide their efforts right now.
If Wikipedia is to be believed, Gros Michel is still grown and consumed in Asia. It's the Central American plantations that were ravaged by disease, and that's where the US/Europe get their bananas from.
The Gros Michel isn't extinct AFAIK so... yes, there are existing strains.
I guess the better question is what does "better" mean to the consumer? Tastes "better"? Looks "better?" These are subjective traits and consumers are so used to the Cavendish now that if the look, feel and taste isn't similar enough you might have a problem.
Seems to me from the articles’ tone like the Cavendish was more of an inferior stopgap solution. If we start genetic fixing bananas, doesn‘t it make sense to start on the „better model“?