“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
Charles M. Shulz
Climate change and the food we love
A recent Twitter post by Washington DC meteorologist Amelia Draper hit me where it hurts. Her short video highlights the negative impacts of our warming planet on what I consider to be the four food groups: wine, chocolate, coffee, and seafood. This post is about climate change and the food we love.
It is becoming clear the changing climate is affecting many of the foods which bring joy to our lives. Likewise, and more importantly, the production of agricultural crops needed to feed the world is also threatened. But that’s a topic for another post. So for now, let’s take a look at these four.
Wine
Around the world, changes in weather patterns are impacting wine production. Heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires have caused significant damage to vineyards. For example, Napa Valley has been hit hard over the past several years. Similarly, France’s renowned wine industry is facing challenges. Until climate change is reversed, these problems will continue to accelerate.
Chocolate
Chocolate comes from cacao trees, and 70% grow in West Africa near the equator. Cacao trees thrive in rainforest conditions, and as the climate of the region becomes warmer and drier, conditions are becoming increasingly challenging. As a result, on our current warming trajectory, an estimated 50% of the land in the region will no longer be suitable for growing.
Coffee
The regions of the world where coffee beans grow, such as Costa Rica and Ethiopia, are also impacted by rising temperatures and drought. Indeed, coffee is already becoming harder to grow and more expensive to buy.
Seafood
Our lakes, rivers, and oceans are warming, leading to increasing threats to fish and other seafood. Warmer temperatures can cause parasites and disease to flourish. Meanwhile, the increasing acidity of the oceans due to CO2 absorption damages shellfish.
Solutions
In each case, strategies are being deployed to adapt to the changing climate. And these will help. But in order to avoid the worst outcomes for these and other agricultural products, we need to reverse the warming trend by achieving net zero emissions.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.