Black Sigatoka, caused by the leaf fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, is a major constraint to banana production around the world. In Ecuador, the biggest banana-exporting country in the world, this disease has become increasingly aggressive. This has resulted in more fungicide applications, which have significantly increased costs in production and for the environment. Consequently, many banana growers have shifted to organic production, which produces greater economic returns as a result of higher sale prices. In addition, production costs are lower as no fungicides are applied. These organic bananas receive substantial amounts of organic products. This study describes the black Sigatoka disease and nutrient status in an organic banana plantation and compares it with a conventionally fertilized and fungicide-treated plantation. Black Sigatoka symptoms were evaluated in the vegetative and flowering stages under both production conditions and in vitro conditions. Univariate and multivariate descriptive statistics were used to analyze the parameters. Disease symptoms were more severe in leaves from the organic field than in leaves from the inorganic field, but the nutrient status (soil and foliar) did not differ between the two farms. Banana plants from the organic farm had 12 functional leaves at flowering and eight functional leaves at harvest. Average banana yields were over 40% lower for organic versus inorganic management; however, the average price received for organic bananas was over two times higher. Profit–cost analysis has shown that the organic banana farm was substantially more profitable than the inorganic one during the time period analyzed. These results indicated that bananas can be grown commercially without fungicides, and the lower productivity levels are compensated by higher prices of organic fruits in international markets. In addition, organic production has beneficial impacts on social and environmental issues.

Bananas are one of the most important crops worldwide. However, a large amount of residual lignocellulosic biomass is generated during its production and is currently undervalued. These residues have the potential to be used as feedstock in bio-based processes with a biorefinery approach. This work is based on the valorization of banana leaf and has the following objectives (i) to determine the effect of certain physical and environmental factors on the concentration of glucose present in banana leaf extract (BLE), using a statistical regression model; (ii) to obtain Bacterial Nanocellulose (BNC), using BLE (70% v/v) and kombucha tea as fermentation medium. In addition, the physicochemical properties of BNC were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that storage time, location, leaf color, and petiole type are factors related to BLE concentration, which is reduced by approximately 28.82% and 64.32% during storage times of five days. Regarding BNC biosynthesis, the results indicate that the highest yield, 0.031 g/g, was obtained at 21 days. Furthermore, it was determined that the highest production rate was 0.11 gL⁻¹h⁻¹ at 11 days of fermentation. By FTIR, it was determined that the purification step with NaOH (3M) should be carried out for approximately two hours. This research supports the development of a circular bioeconomy around the banana value chain, as it presents a way of bioprocessing residual biomass that can be used to produce bioproducts.

The ocean is intrinsically linked to human health as it provides food and wellbeing, yet shifts in its dynamics can pose climate-ecological risks, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs) that can impact the health and economy of coastal communities. For decades, Ecuadorian coastal communities have witnessed seasonal algal blooms, events that are driven by factors including complex ocean–climate interactions, nutrient availability, and ecological variables. However, little is known about the risk perceived by coastal populations regarding such events. Understanding how specific groups of people in specific places perceive HABs risks is critical for communicating, promoting, and regulating public health measures. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of fishermen, restaurant owners, and coastal authorities in relation to HABs, or ‘red tide’ events, in coastal Ecuador. Methods utilized in this study include a non-probabilistic sampling approach for the two studied populations: coastal communities comprised of fishermen and restaurant owners (N₁ = 181), and authorities comprised of coastal officials in the sectors of health, and environment and risk management (N₂ = 20). Using contingency tables, chi-square test, Cramer’s V correlation statistic, and multiple correspondence analysis, this study compared the responses of these two groups, coastal communities and authorities, to determine whether principal activity, or livelihood, affected risk perception in each group. This project implemented four workshops to interact with coastal stakeholders and more deeply understand risk perception within studied populations. Results demonstrated that principal activity indeed influenced risk perception of red tides, and that fishermen, restaurant owners, and health authorities had limited knowledge and low risk perception of red tide impacts on human health. Recommendations produced from this research include tailored workshops and improved communication between authorities and coastal communities to enhance algal bloom monitoring and coastal management during future red tide events.