Bananas grow in the open air in Belgium. Erdem sent us pictures of his banana tree via the orange alert us button. He is surprised to see small bananas growing in his garden. And several questions arise: is it linked to climate change? Could we see other more exotic fruits and vegetables growing here in the future?
Erdem, bus driver at Stib, can’t believe it. On his banana tree, flowers have recently appeared. “There are four beautiful flowers with bananas which I hope will mature. I am very surprised and find it amusing. It shows how much the temperatures are changing, in my opinion… It is getting more and more hot in Belgium”, he tells us. The resident of Waterloo explains to us that he received this banana tree 4 years ago. “My stepfather gave it to me when he was still 15-20 centimeters tall. I think if he saw his banana tree today he would be jealous, because he never had that”he confides.
Passionate regarding gardening, Erdem seems to have found the trick to make his banana tree bloom. “At first I watered quite a bit. But for maintenance, I do nothing, except watering if it does not rain. It goes away on its own, it’s like a weed,” he breathes. Today, he says he is surprised. He didn’t expect to see bananas ripening in his garden in Waterloo. “As soon as I saw that, I thought it was due to global warming. The weather is changing all over the world. Places where it’s very cold, it’s very hot now. And vice versa too. I think those bananas in my garden are proof of that.”he points out.
It’s no wonder bananas grow on a banana tree
For now, however, these bananas remain tiny. “I tried to open one, but there’s not much in it. But if I get the chance, I’ll eat them. They’re 100% organic bananas following all,” he tells us.
How to explain that bananas can be born in Belgium? “It is not surprising to see bananas growing on a banana tree. After all, it is quite logical. To see flowers on a banana tree means that it is old and trying to reproduce itself. As it is a herbaceous, following flowering, it bears fruit. So it will gently die and make room for the youngest shoots”, Brigitte De Taffe, nurseryman, enlightens us.
Usually, banana production is done in tropical countries where the climate is hot and humid. “Under these conditions, we can have bananas in 7 months. Here in Belgium, we have banana trees for several years and at some point they are old enough to make bananas. But it is not certain that they will go as far as possible. at maturity”, explains the nurseryman. Especially since our country experiences periods of heat wave and drought. “What banana trees do not know in their tropical countries”adds the specialist.
Since 1890, the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM) observes that the average annual temperature has increased in Belgium between 1.8° and 1.9°C, with a clear acceleration since 1954. In 2100, according to projections, warming would be between +0.7°C and +5°C with a greater increase in winter than in summer. The number of heat waves would also increase.
The Belgian consumes on average 7.42 kilos of bananas in Belgium, which makes them the most popular fruit (according to a study carried out by the company GfK Belgium with a panel of 6,000 Belgian families at the request of the Flemish marketing center agriculture and fishing).
In view of the gradual increase in temperatures, will their production soon be possible on our territory? “It’s unlikely and a bit utopian”smiles José Renard, Secretary General of the Walloon Federation of Agriculture. However, in recent years, in view of climate change, farmers have had to adapt.
“There is a reflection to diversify crops and to have species that better support the temperature variations such as we know today”, enlightens the Secretary General. Before adding: “The objective towards which we must aim is that of the resilience of agriculture in relation to all these fluctuations. Because we see that in the same year, we can have a period of water deficit and a period of excess. We need plants that can somehow withstand these climate variations and be able to restart”.
We remain open to other cultures
However, this adaptation can involve real risks for growers. “Each new crop involves a risk because we do not necessarily have the perspective of 100 years of cultivation. In agriculture, we must observe over several years because we know that the parasitic climatic conditions are not the same from one year on year. When you start the first year, it’s a bit of a leap into the unknown. The farmer has to be able to have partners in the food chain who agree to share this risk”, explains José Renard.
Christophe, a farmer in Grez-Doiceau, is one of those who took the plunge. This grower started growing durum wheat in November 2021. “Visually, it looks like a classic soft wheat for bread flour. But there is a small difference in the grain. It can be used for pasta and semolina”, he explains.
“I know that we talk a lot regarding other crops such as sunflower. So in the long term, why not? (…) We remain open to other crops through the problem of new tools. We are still aiming for safety first of all”, he confides. For this diversification, Christophe did not have to invest in new machines. The harvesting process is the same as for durum wheat.
In Italy, farmers are gradually abandoning their orange crops to turn to tropical fruits. An investigation by the Italian newspaper L’Espresso reveals that between 2016 and 2021, the cultivation of tropical fruits increased from 10 to 500 hectares in Italy. Conversely, lemon and orange crops fell by 50 and 30% respectively. Bananas but also mangoes, avocados or even papayas are thus emerging in this European country.
