Foods We Might Lose to Climate Change
A new study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the world’s average temperature could rise from 0.9 to 1.5 degrees Celsius within 20 years.
Even if Earth doesn't warm this much, scientists say we’ll still face serious problems. Storms are becoming stronger, droughts are lasting longer, and certain foods are becoming much harder to grow.
Even if we avoid the worst of climate change, these foods may be very expensive 30 years from now.
The world drinks about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO). But a study from the University of Greenwich says that climate change could badly hurt the coffee industry. According to the ICO, only about 50 percent of coffee farms will be usable by 2050.
More than half of the world’s chocolate comes from cocoa grown in Ghana and Ivory Coast. But by 2050, many areas where cocoa is now grown will be too hot. Other areas may become more suitable, but farmers in those areas will need the money and knowledge to start growing cocoa. The result will be less chocolate, making it more of a luxury.
A study published in the journal Nature Plants found that barley, an important ingredient in beer, is very sensitive to drought and heat. Researchers think beer prices will increase by at least 15 percent on average but could in fact double. The authors of the study hope that it will convince people who love beer to take climate change more seriously.
