How Climate Change Is Impacting These 13 Foods

Climate change may seem like a hot topic in modern political and advocacy discourse, but this scientific phenomenon has real consequences on the food we grow, catch, and harvest every day. According to Johns Hopkins University, the rising temperatures and increasingly unstable weather patterns have the potential to diminish food security globally, especially in regions with already low food security, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. While science has developed the capacity to grow more drought and temperature-tolerant crops, there are limitations to the adaptability of the current species on Earth, many of which supply sustenance and support the taste palate of foodies. 

Research by the United Nations has suggested that without strong adaptive plans, crop yields could decline by 30% globally by the year 2050. In the grand scheme of things, there is not much we as individuals can do to singlehandedly stop the planet's warming. But the more we can do to bring awareness to the impacts of climate change on the modern food system, the bigger imperative that we — regardless of political affiliation — will have to alter the trajectory of planetary warming. As it stands, some major food crops are already seeing the impacts of a changing atmosphere both domestically and abroad. And a whole host of other foods which, while yet to be severely impacted, are standing in harm's way. 

Most European wine production will be altered by climate change — especially in Spanish, French, and German regions. Already, climate change is drastically affecting the Champagne industry by bringing earlier harvests. According to Climate Central, wine grapes grown in these regions have a narrow temperature range of 18 F. Pinot noir grapes have an even more limited temperature range at around 3.6 F. Consumers should expect to see changing varieties on the shelves, as well as an increasing prevalence of mixed wines to replicate the same flavor as traditional varieties that can no longer be grown in a warming climate. 

Domestically speaking, wildfires in California have altered suitable growing regions for Napa and Sonoma's wine regions. The smokiness from wildfires can alter the flavor of ripening grapes; grapes exposed to wildfire smoke are known to develop an undesirable ashy taste, according to Climate Central. In the United States, the average growing temperature has risen by 2.0 F since 1970. In California, temperatures within the growing season have already risen 2.9 F, thus making it almost unsuitable for wine grape production. As California vino is estimated to make up nearly 12% of the global wine market, the loss of the industry will be no small matter.

One of the major threats to shellfish is ocean acidification, per the Washington State Department of Health. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts the chemical to carbonic acid. This acid dissolves the structure of calcium carbonate shells in clams and other shellfish. We can also expect to witness greater exposure to marine bio-toxins with the changing climate. Warmer temperatures can cause algae growth to spike; the algae can release bio-toxins into feeder organisms like shellfish. Research in the journal Toxins has indicated several risks of bio-toxin exposure via shellfish consumption, including paralytic shellfish toxins and ciguatera fish poisoning. 

While there is some argument that mollusks are at significant risk, there are proponents on the fringe who suggest eating more mollusks. According to the BBC, shellfish have a significantly lower environmental footprint than land-animal agriculture because shellfish do not require specific feeding or care regimes. Mussels are also being used for physical climate infrastructure; the World Harbour Project, an initiative of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, is trying to build retention walls out of mussels to improve water clarity and block the coast from storm surges. 

The humble tuber we know and love is not immune to environmental change. Compared to other crops, like corn, wine, and cacao, the potato is more resilient to environmental change. The potato does not require as much water as other food crops. Still, the International Potato Center states that water stress and the increased frequency of major weather events caused by climate change may impact the irrigation infrastructure supporting the potato crop. Additionally, warming temperatures will have ancillary effects on tuber plants. 

What the crop is not yet resilient to, however, is the increased damage from pests and pathogens that thrive in warmer environments. Many of these dangers have yet to hit a stride but will increase as global temperatures become hotter. Alberto Salas, a potato researcher at the International Potato Center, notes that shifting the growing areas as a response to climate change, as well as introducing new types of cultivars with greater disease resistance, may help bolster potato production worldwide. So while we shouldn't expect to see potatoes disappearing from our dinner table any time soon, we may expect to see increased popularity in heritage potato varieties and resistant crossbreeds. 

Rice is one of the essential food crops of the world; according to Scientific American, the grain sustains more than half of the world's population. Rice farming is, by nature, a vulnerable crop because it is cultivated in wet fields called patties. Higher anticipated temperatures also speed up the process of evaporation, which can harm the flooding cycles of the patties. A 2018 study published in the Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science suggests the increase and severity of hot weather can cause yields to decrease by 40% within this century alone. Besides evaporation, increased temperatures can also cause the plants to stress and impair the plant's ability to pollinate. As Scientific American reports, patties in low-elevation regions are especially at risk for saltwater intrusion into rice patties, the bulk of which is threatened by storm surge from stronger monsoons, hurricanes, and alike.

Scientific American also reports that because rice is a cultural crop, climate change threatens more than just the plant alone. Many Asian countries have specific religious practices and traditions around growing rice threatened by rising water and cataclysmic environmental change. It's a reminder that climate change will affect more than just our stomachs.

Almonds have never been known as the most environmentally friendly of crops; the almond industry is one of the biggest water consumers of all agricultural crops; growth is most common in the already drought-stricken regions of the United States. According to NPR, California produces 80% of the global supply of almonds. However, we are seeing that California almond harvests are decreasing due to record drought and heat. Between May and July 2020, production was estimated to have fallen nearly 400,000 pounds.

Like other crops, we can anticipate seeing almond production move north into regions previously unsuitable for growing almonds. Boise Public Radio notes the frost barrier that may have killed almond trees in colder regions of the country may dissipate with warmer temperatures. Agriculturalists are also starting to find ways to produce more almonds with less water on orchard lands, including replanting older trees with younger, less water-intensive almond trees. 

So what does this mean for almonds on the shelf? It isn't clear at this point, but adapting almonds to colder climates may cause a supply chain shortage and sourcing disruptions in the foreseeable future. 

Climate change will undoubtedly impact avocado farming. Research edited at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany indicated that the areas in Peru, Indonesia, and the Dominican Republic, which have once responsible for the bulk of avocado farming globally, will soon not be suitable for avocado production. Although this does not mean avocados will cease to exist in 2050, it does mean that scientists and agriculturalists will have to work together to find a sustainable solution to grow crops in higher altitudes and adapt breeding varieties to suit more inhospitable climates. 

Some chefs are trying to cancel avocados, pulling dishes based on the fruit from their menus to reduce the environmental impact of the avocado industry. A single avocado requires close to 320 liters of water to grow. The fruit carries ethical considerations about the regions in which it is grown, leading to an often unseen dark side of avocado toast. Two avocados have the carbon footprint of an entire kilo of bananas and have cost thousands of acres of rainforest in the Central and South American regions in which it is grown, according to the Associated Press.