10 Food And Drinks Likely To Go Extinct, Thanks To Climate Change

They say every woe sorts itself once you realise nothing lasts forever. But, when the food becomes scarce, woes are bound to rise. With the rapidly changing climatic conditions, the extinction of certain food and drinks, like the following listed 11, is unsurprisingly impending. While some of these are our lifeline, some others aren’t exactly critical for our survival. Nevertheless, the alleged fact that our future generations will probably only read about these in text-books isn’t exactly pleasing.

1. Coffee crop in Brazil is seeing its doomsday, thanks to global warming

Picture credit: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

Shifting weather patterns and temperature rising above average are key reasons contributing to depletion of the crop. And as if this wasn’t worse enough, the 2015 Brazil drought has taken the prices of coffee sky high. And Latin America isn’t the only victim. In Africa, a downfall in the number of regions producing coffee by 65% to 100%, because of the warming climate, is predicted.

Fact Sources: 1, 2

 

2. Beans are deprived of the perfect weather conditions to grow

Beans are regarded extremely sensitive to climate change. According to a report, increase in temperatures affects the flowering and seed production stages in bean vines, causing a significant decline in the yield. Moreover, the excess of rains, floods and storms are also highly responsible for the decline in crop production.

 

3. Peanut Butter’s production is going down and the prices high, which basically means that Peanuts are disappearing

A good peanut crop requires just the right amount of rain and sunshine, but the shifty weather patterns aren’t letting that happen. Hence, the decline in yield and a jump in prices.

Fact Source

 

4. Seafood is likely to go extinct by 2050, thanks to the increase in the acidification of oceans

It isn’t just land that is getting to face the wrath of global warming. The rising levels of CO2 in the depths of oceans, are resulting in the increase of acidification, which could be responsible for the deteriorating quality of edible marine sources.

For example- There are high chances of calcifying organisms like young oysters to grow less sturdy over time. And this isn’t all. A study says that some fish are extremely slow to adapt to acidification of ocean, which is an alarming sign of their extinction.

Salmon is another such popular seafood, which being a cold water fish, is now finding it hard to survive.

To put it straight, scientists have even remarked that all seafood will go extinct by 2050.

Fact Source

 

5. Italian Pasta because production of durum wheat in Italy will soon become an impossibility

In India, this will make you weep a little, but Italy is crying a river. According to the scientists at British Meteorological Office, climate change will soon make it impossible to grow durum wheat domestically in Italy. Which means, that day isn’t far away when the country will be set to import ingredients to make pasta-  A sign of what lies ahead in pasta’s future.

Fact Source

 

6. Honey, and all other fruits/vegetables dependent on bees

If you hadn’t been living under a rock all this while, I guess you are aware of the significantly drop in the bee population worldwide. Wetter winters and summers make it difficult for bees to go on collecting nectar, thus leaving them malnourished and prone to diseases.

The direct consequence of this is a decline in production of honey, and all other food that are directly dependent on bees for pollination. For example- almonds, pumpkin, cucumbers, apples, watermelons, peaches, oranges, and the most desirable vegetable these days- onion.

Fact Sources: 1, 2

 

7. French Wine may become a rarity

According to industry experts, by 2050, south-western French region will become unsuitable for wine-making, because of the shifty climate. Global warming has caused the minimal temperatures to rise, which means the grapes would ripen soon. The same could also develop drought conditions, which would leave the grapes bereft of water essential for their maturity.

The winegrowers have already started to switch to grape varieties that are heat-resistant by nature.

Fact Source

 

8. German Beer may lose its dominance

The beer giant Germany may soon suffer a steep decline in its production, mainly because of water shortages due to climate change. Barley and hops, key beer ingredients, obviously can’t be grown without water, hence the fate of the drink.

Although corn does serve as a cheaper alternative for the same, but it is of no help to Germans who stick to a specific list of ingredients that go in their beer.

Fact Source

 

9. Chocolate may soon melt out forever. Blame the climate, blame yourself.

Although not a stale news, this is undeniably a universal heart-breaker. A widely cited 2011 study says, the production of cacao beans (the key ingredient in chocolates) will come down alarmingly in coming decades. Reason being, the rise in temperatures and drop in water supplies.

Fact Sources

 

10. Maple Syrup is set to become history

Although not an Indian thing, just a stark reminder of a popular food vanishing from the face of the Earth to touch your sensitive side and remind you that food dies too. According to researchers in New Hampshire, the warmer temperatures have caused a shortened duration of the sapping seasons (which is marked by below freezing temperatures) for the sugar maples to produce sufficient sap.

Fact Source

If you thought that increasing heat in December is the only sign of global warming you have faced so far, wait until these food products vanish from your kitchen shelves to become attractive wall posters.

Cover Image Sources: 1, 2