"Cultivated bananas lack the genetic diversity needed to fight off disease," said Emile Frison, director of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain. Because ancient farmers chose to plant seedless bananas, those bananas have been at "an evolutionary standstill for thousands of years."

Since bananas are a staple food for almost half a billion people around the world, it is the hope of the international assembly that more resilient banana crops will help reduce hunger and poverty. In developing nations, bananas and plantains are the fourth most important food crop.

For the last 30 years, Black Sigatoka, a fungus, has reduced the production of bananas by 30 to 50 percent. In addition, parasites and viruses have threatened the yield of the crop.