New growing method lets nature take its course
"Ecoganically" grown bananas are sweeter and last longer than regular varieties. Dipping them in red wax provides their distinctive look. © Pacific Coast Eco Bananas
SOPHIE MAK
October 25, 2026 10:14 JST
SYDNEY -- In 1998, Australian banana grower Frank Sciacca set out to develop a better cultivation method after growing disillusioned with his farm's declining soil health and rising pest problems, caused by a long-standing reliance on heavy chemical treatments. Twenty-eight years later, his distinctive red-tipped bananas, grown under his own certified farming system, are being exported to Japan, the latest addition to a growing Asia-Pacific market.