Earth and climate changes will create many issues with the availability or affordability of many of our favorite foods and drinks.
From visions of exorbitantly priced food or drink items to our favorite treats and beverages, we've all watched the changes in sizing decreases and price increases. But what we will see and how will we all deal with the possible disappearance of entire classes of manufactured items or varieties of fruits or vegetables, coffee or tea plants or heaven forbid many people's beloved coffee, teas, wine or beer?
From the loss of rainforests for coffee production, to lack of arable land for farming, to just about every potential shortage one might imagine, new predictions are indicating that climate change effects might finally hit some people where they care the most--not just their very rich pockets but their pleasingly plump beer bellies!
What? A beer shortage?
Yes, indeed it could happen and worried brows are furrowing in hop and barley fields and can and bottle factory lines across the world as people even consider the possibilities.
According to the researchers whose findings appear in "Nature Plants", these extreme weather conditions could spur a 16 percent decline in global beer consumption. And not by choice but by lack of availability or affordability!
16% is equivalent to 29 billion litres (or similar in gallons) or to make that more relatable. he amount of beer consumed annually in the US.
The issue is one of supply, certainly not demand. In the event of a modern climate-related disaster, farmers could have trouble producing barley, the main ingredient in beer.
My family has gardens, fruit trees, berry vines and shrubs, and even a small row of grapes and my kids are perfecting their home brewing abilities more and more, better and better, but even they need ingredients we don't have or couldn't grow!
And while not a beer drinker, just try taking my coffee away and then everyone around me would have more problems!
It's been challenging enough to almost give up our love of orange juice after the frosts in Florida affected orange crops and our prices in Oregon almost doubled, but imagine not being able to afford a single orange, or an applea And since the most grown banana variety was wiped out by disease issues a few years ago, just look at our poor selection now! We buy very green bananas to last even a few days before being "banana-bread-ready' brown even now!
What have you already cut down on, or could go without if you had to, or which food or drink loss (possibility forever) would be the most challenging for you?
Share your thoughts, or stories or links under this new "Climate and Earth Changes: Food and Drink Shortages or Price Increases" sub-category.Â
And here's the link to the beer shortage story:
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Thanks for starting this thread, Michele. Â People think climate change means warmer weather and higher seas. Â They don't understand that food shortages and subsequent higher food prices will be one of the first impacts. Â Recent recessions have in the past been sparked by higher oil prices, but now we could be looking at food price-driven crashes.Â
The beer shortage was in a vision that Paula, one of our European readers, had seen a year in advance. Â I got a message about a year or so ago, the words "Fifty dollar apple." Living in New England, I've always assumed apples would be available in abundance. Â But climate change will kill off apple trees.Â
Why should we be looking at this issue? Â It's another wake up call that might stir people to action. Climate action is still one of the lowest priorities in the American political scene.Â
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I think that the biggest near term threat to our food supply is the potential collapse of major fisheries. Humans have been over fishing the world's oceans for generations and several major fisheries have already collapsed. As catches dwindle the pressure to over fish only increases. Hundreds of millions, if not several billion, people rely on the world's oceans for their food.Â
Yesterday a comparison of a simple meal of what appeared to be mostly rice was made on the news. Â The cost was $1 for someone in the US and over $300 for someone from an African nation ( I do not remember which nation at the moment). Â That was shocking! Â I can't imagine it becoming worse for those in nations already dealing with food scarcity.
Oh, Paul,
Thank you for adding this incredibly important comment about fish and fisheries.
Paul, I grew up in southeast Alaska, I was a child in the 50s and teen in the 60s. My grandfather, father, and 4 of my uncles all fished commercially even while juggling other jobs in order to not only put food on all of our tables but to make essential additional incomes.
I grew up eating salmon 3 days a week (moose meat and venison 3 and if there was nothing left in the freezer, or if we were lucky ground beef from our only grocery store or fried canned spam) the 6th. By the end of the month a can of tuna shared by 7 of us or fried spam or bologna.
Four of my brothers and even myself growing up worked for Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. Fishing at and fisheries have been integral parts of our lives from the 60s to just recently as the last brother retired.
We don't even have fresh fish in southeast very often due to decrease in salmon and other fish populations.
And whether I'm in Alaska or Oregon, what's sold in the stores and called king salmon at our stores, wasn't called that in the past and prices--on sale at Fred Meyers, the price has doubled in the past oh, probably 5 years! Copper River Salmon is still aptly named and priced.
From Lovenures:
Yesterday a comparison of a simple meal of what appeared to be mostly rice was made on the news. The cost was $1 for someone in the US and over $300 for someone from an African nationÂ
Thank you, thank you for finding and sharing that. Truly mind blowing and incredibly sad (and so unfair) at the same time.
Michele B: I have an Alaskan fish story for you. Years ago two cousins and I visited our uncle who lived on the Kenae river. He made his living building log houses and guiding hunters. One of the hunters he befriended was Fred Smith, founder of Fed Ex. As a result of that friendship, my uncle could ship anything anytime for free on Fed Ex. Several months after we came home (it was a wonderful trip) I got a call at work from my wife. "therearedeadfishontheporch!" I had to get her to slow down and repeat it several times before I understood. My uncle had shipped about 100 pounds of salmon that he had caught and tossed in his freezer without cleaning them. I still chuckle about that today.
Paul, what a totally awesome story! Wow, wow! Hope Fred Smith or a descendants ..or your uncle...is reading here.
Love fish.... Fred, descendant of Fred or Paul's Uncle etc. ..doorstop is fine. 100 lbs, no problem. We have 2 freezers would be happy to buy another one ???
And Paul, thanks for a fabulous tall "tail " I can share with my family! Unreal but totally great!
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