Banana Textile: Natural Fibers From Abaca and Bashô

Are you familiar with banana textile? Yes, there’s a specific type of banana that produces fibers for clothing and other applications. The material is called ito bashô in Japan, and abaca in the Philippines.

It’s interesting to talk about the textile-producing banana plant. Primarily because it sounds incredible for many people. But, we cannot blame them for it. After all, most of us instantaneously associate bananas with the fruits only. And so, in this blog let’s learn together about the other species that benefit people in other ways than food.

To begin with, bananas have three major species, namely:

1. The food source. This includes the plantains and the dessert bananas.
2. Decorative plants
3. The starch and fibers source. This species is the textile-producing banana.

Distinctive Qualities of Textile-Producing Banana

First of all, the fruits of the textile-producing banana are inedible. Instead of flesh enclosed in a green skin are black seeds. Likewise, this species comes in at least two varieties.

• One is the ito bashô (Musa balbisiana var. liukiuensis) of Japan. This variety is used in making kimonos and other Japanese traditional clothing.
• While the other variety is the abaca or Manila hemp (Musa textilis) of the Philippines. Aside from clothing, abaca is also used in many commercial and industrial applications.

Moreover, banana is a natural bast fibre. It possesses unique physical and chemical properties. The fibers are of fine quality with these characteristics:

• It resembles the fiber from ramie and bamboo, only banana is finer than the two.
• The texture is as soft as organza silk when refined.
• Lustrous and lightweight
• Breathable
• Very high tensile strength
• Low in elongation
• High moisture absorption capacity
• Repels grease and water
• Remains extremely flexible
• It dries quickly
• The fabric is fire resistant
• A renewable resource
• Better spinnability compared with other fibers.

Japan’s Banana Textile Production

Now, let’s look into the banana textile production in Japan.

The independent kingdom of Ryukyu was known for its rich textile weaving industry. They sourced their fibers from the ito bashô variety of the banana plant. They then called the cloth produced from it as bashôfu.

Extraction of the banana fiber was done manually and the process was tedious. It required skills and a lot of patience. Because of this, weavers find it difficult to mass-produce the cloth. Added to the difficulty was the war. World War II was a major factor in the decline of the banana-weaving industry in Ryukyu.

Fortunately, however, weaving and use of bashôfu was revived after the war. Its production even accelerated when Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972. Since then, bashôfu received considerable attention as Japan’s important intangible cultural heritage.

The Philippines’ Abaca Production

On the other hand, the Philippines has abaca. Although known also as Manila hemp, abaca is not really related to the actual hemp. This banana species is a native product of the Philippines. Its history dates back to many centuries ago. The locals wore clothing made of abaca long before the country’s discovery. When the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan came to the Philippines in the 16th century, he took interest in the fabric. Since then, abaca became popular outside the Philippines.

Today, the country is the largest producer of this “strongest natural fiber in the world”. The Philippines now supplies around 87% of the world’s abaca requirement. Abaca fiber is in-demand due to its several applications. Aside from being a clothing material, many industries worldwide use the fiber in the production of varied products, such as:

• Cordage
• Currency notes
• Teabags
• Coffee filter
• Insulation paper
• Handicrafts
• Meat casing
• Furniture

Watch the video below for details regarding the abaca industry in the Philippines.

Eco-Friendly Product

The good thing about the banana textile is that it’s sustainable and environmentally friendly. Its plant source is self-sustaining and matures in sixteen to twenty-four months. When you intercrop it with other monoculture plantations and rainforest areas, bananas help control erosion and rehabilitate biodiversity. Likewise, the waste materials from banana make good organic fertilizers.

nila.eslit

Content Writer, Blogger, Book Reviewer, Environmentalist, Pro-Life Advocate

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