The tropical agricultural sector is facing increasing challenges; With an ever increasing population and climate change causing unpredictable patterns of rain, light and temperatures, sufficient clean water is becoming more scarce. These issues combined with many tropical crops being vulnerable to disease is resulting in food security becoming problematic. The banana is a clear example of this. One single variant being cultivated worldwide has resulted in entire plantations being destroyed by diseases such as Tropical Race 4 (TR4), Moko and Black Sigatoka, in addition to having an adverse affect on the availability of clean or disease-free water. We, therefore, believe the sector needs a more ‘intelligent’ approach... “there is no single solution that solves all problems” In our view, the basis of a sustainable cultivation method lies in a holistic approach. In other words, there is no single solution that solves all problems. There are three elements that together provide a sustainable total solution: 1. a periodic reset of the soil to prevent soil depletion 2. breaking the monoculture with more resilient varieties 3. support by science and technical applications