A bunch of bananas can look, at first, like the ultimate convenience, a graceful cluster of plump arcs nestled together by nature's workshop for efficient transport and storage.

But how do you make sure you always have yellow bananas handy, without going for a mid-week banana run? It’s simple: Buy two bunches of bananas. You want one yellow bunch and one green bunch.

Malawi’s once-thriving banana industry is battling for survival, brought to its knees by disease outbreaks, trade disruptions ...