This lack of genetic diversity makes Grand Nains as well as other AAA cultivars vulnerable to diseases and pests.

[6] Bananas are ranked as the fourth-most cultivated crop in the world and constitute a significant portion of many populations' caloric intake.

[5] Plantations growing Grand Naines range from the tropical regions of Central America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.

[8] Because bananas are such a large and important crop in many tropical regions, their cultivation has several ecological ramifications, the most obvious of which is the clearing of rainforest.

In the past, these ecological impacts as well as accusations of employee abuse plagued large corporations like Chiquita, Del Monte, and Dole (the three of which control two-thirds of the banana market).

[7] Within the past 10 years, though, companies like Chiquita have taken steps to improve public relations by introducing more sustainable agricultural techniques.

Issues discussed apply to all banana cultivars commercially farmed of which the Grand Nain constitutes the majority.