Print10 Foods Predicted to Go Extinct
How Climate Change Could Affect Our Diet
The extreme weather conditions brought by climate change are progressively increasing the risk of drought, floods, heat waves and wildfires, not only affecting our lives directly but influencing our diet and food habits as well.
Climate patterns are definitely shifting and as human being and animal species, also plants need to re-adapt before is too late.
Currently, 4% of land all over the world suffers droughts every year and, experts say, numbers will grow to 18% by the end of our century, due to the rapid increase of drought events in the coming decades.
Scientists are now trying to design and experiment with crop types that would be able to survive longer with no water, but in general, the rise of the temperatures over 30C is bad for growing staples, as numerous studies show. Besides, the human intervention in agriculture has profoundly affected the adaptability capabilities of domesticated plants at advantage of longer durability.
The foods that are unfortunately going to appear on the endangered list are also among the most popular and liked by all, and that’s the reason why raising awareness on climate change and connected risks become fundamental.
But let’s see which these are and why!
The latest GreenMatch infographic can give an idea on how our shopping list could change if we do not start taking seriously care of our planet!
1. Chocolate – yes, the most-beloved food ever is put in danger by climate change. Temperature increase and an imbalance in water supply due to drought are predicted to make chocolate a really expensive good.
2. Avocados – farming this fruit is becoming increasingly expensive due to lack of water, and this year the price turned to be even 36 times higher than it used to be.
3. Chickpeas – due to the big amount of water each can of chickpeas needs to be produced, the quantity available on the market in the last years went down by 40-50%.
4. Coffee – 38% of coffee-growing zones will become unsuitable by 2080, and that’s the best-case scenario. In the worst, coffee beans will go entirely extinct.
5. Fish/Seafood – the increasing acidification of the oceans, along with the higher temperatures, are making life harder for many sea species.
6. Peanuts – the cultivation of peanuts requires a lot more attention to constant temperatures and rain levels than other species, and the climate change is making much more difficult to keep all this under control.
7. Maple Syrup – as peanuts, maple trees grow just in stable and specific weather conditions, that are becoming more and more harder to experience.
8. Honey – bees are the main responsible for the existence of most of the food we commonly eat. Disruptions of synchronism of flowers blooming and timing of bees pollination are one of the numerous consequences of climate change.
9. Bananas – while higher temperatures could actually represent a more favourable condition for growing bananas, warmer temperatures accelerate the spread and development of diseases.
10. Wine – as the higher temperatures are prolonged, the effect for vineyards could be devastating, consequently provoking a rise of price levels once the demand increases.
Source: Greenmatch.co.uk