The clash between climate and food supply
This summer, during a weekly Zoom meeting with my coworkers, we discussed the heatwaves that were happening throughout the nation. The conversation was centered around the wildfires on the West Coast and the blistering heat that many of us were experiencing in New York City. However, one of my coworkers who lived in Alabama mentioned a unique concern, of which I was unaware.
In his town, all the ice cream stores were forced to shut down. The high temperatures were too much for the freezers to handle, so all the ice cream melted.
For some reason, this image really resonated with me. For me and many others, getting ice cream on a hot day is a staple summer activity. To think that extreme changes in the climate are preventing people from enjoying this part of summer is equally shocking as it is concerning, and it alludes to larger issues.
The climate’s wellbeing is intertwined with our food production and supply. As weather patterns become more extreme, the steady flow of food production is threatened.
Recently, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that their Food Price Index is 33% higher than it was last year. Obviously, there are other factors contributing to this recent spike. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains as people were not able to work and the demand for groceries went up. However, irregular climate patterns also contribute significantly to our present situation.
For example, droughts and extremely hot weather have negatively impacted the oat-growing industry. In recent years, oats have become a very popular crop as the demand for dairy alternatives has grown. However, companies like Oatly, one of the most popular producers of oat milk, are struggling to keep up with demand. The Wall Street Journal reported that bushel prices are rising at an increasing rate due to a poor growing season.
Worse yet, these droughts occurred in the areas in North America where oats are most commonly grown. So, farmers trying to grow oats have had to scrap their harvest.
The oat industry is not suffering alone. Other crops, like corn and wheat, have also faced the harsh realities of climate change and have been similarly impacted by droughts.
The ramifications of supply shortages can be felt by both consumers and businesses. For Oatly, the company’s stock has plummeted since the start of the droughts, not boding well for other oat milk producers. And, in a recent U.S. Census survey focused on small businesses, 45% of shop owners reported delays with domestic food suppliers.
If producers and stores cannot obtain adequate supplies, the final burden will fall onto consumers. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, many question the amount of options people are going to have in grocery stores.
A day of gratitude and feasting may turn into a reminder for many of the luxury of food security. In that case, it is important to consider the predicament we face as an issue of climate change and sustainability.
~Adrian Visscher `24
