Nobody has failed to hear about the announcement of the end of bananas in the next ten years. This outrageous prospect upset all the stakeholders in the export dessert banana production sectors and in local consumption sectors as well. In this set of articles, CIRAD-FLHOR wishes to calm the debate and clearly set out the position with regard to a number of notions such as genetic diversity, the genetic improvement of banana, pest and disease control, etc. Reflection on an overall approach to banana growing with the aim of sustainable production is also proposed. Solutions do exist. Bananas will not disappear. But there is no doubt that research on this crop deserves more attention and funding in the light of the food and trade issues that it represents.