There’s nothing like a chilled glass of Prosecco to help you unwind after a busy day, but scientists have warned that the future of the crowd-pleasing fizz – as well as some of the world’s most celebrated wines – is at risk due to climate change. Traditionally, the grapes used to make Prosecco are harvested on steep slopes without machinery, using a centuries-old technique known as ‘heroic’ viticulture (named due to the difficulty of the process). Researchers say that soil degradation and drought caused by climate change is threatening to make the historic technique obsolete, spelling bad news for Prosecco drinkers all over the world.
Prosecco and many more of Europe’s most cherished wines are deeply entwined with the cultural heritage of the regions that make them, and a new study from the University of Padova has highlighted just how precarious the future is for this kind of 'heroic' grape growing. Prosecco, which is cultivated at high altitudes in Italy’s mountainous regions, is particularly at risk; the drink’s distinctive sweet, floral taste is derived from grapes that need to be exposed to ample sunlight but also protected from excessive heat.
Scientists say that, while extreme weather events made worse by climate change have certainly contributed to the issue, the ‘gradual abandonment of mountain landscapes’ and increased rural-to-urban migration in recent years has also made a significant impact. According to the study, younger generations are less keen to work under extreme conditions for relatively low economic rewards. In order to preserve these landscapes, farmers and scientists are now being urged to work together or risk ‘losing entire communities’ history and their cultural roots’.
It isn’t just Prosecco we could lose forever. These foods are also facing extinction:
Many of us can't function without our morning brew, but according to a recent report by Christian Aid, climate change could reduce the land available for growing coffee by 54% by the year 2100, even if global temperatures meet the international targets outlined in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Association has suggested that temperatures could breach these targets as early as 2027. Global coffee production focuses on two types of plant, arabica and robusta, which require specific conditions to grow. But there is hope. Scientists say that Stenophylla, a resilient type of coffee native to West Africa, could help to future-proof the drink thanks to its ability to tolerate high temperatures and droughts.
The demand for almonds and almond milk seems to be ever on the rise, but there are questions over the sustainability of their production. The USA has a behemoth of an almond industry, and it relies on billions of bees, which are sent to pollinate California's many almond trees. Sadly, though, a huge number of bees die in this process, in part due to pesticides and parasites. These large-scale agricultural methods pose a threat not just to your favourite healthy snack, but to the future of the honeybees themselves.
It's not just almonds that could be at risk. According to a report by the United Nations, three-quarters of the world's food crops depend on pollinators including butterflies, beetles, birds and bees, which are declining at an alarming rate. Factors including climate change and pesticide use mean many of these species could face global extinction. Devastating in its own right, this would also lead to the loss of fruits including blueberries, which are insect pollinated, mostly by honeybees.
Broccoli is another staple veggie that relies on pollination from honeybees, whose rate of decline is 'consistent with a mass extinction', according to a report from the University of Ottawa. Some studies say that the crop has already been affected by inadequate pollination and reduced diversity in pollinators.
Of course, honey is another product that may soon cease to exist. The production of honey relies entirely on bees, which collect flower nectar and break it down before depositing it into a honeycomb. The process of evaporation, spurred on by the honeybees' fanning wings, produces the final sweet, sticky result. Without bees, real honey would be impossible to make.
Wine is another earthly pleasure that could be threatened by climate change. According to experts at the University of Alcalá in Spain, a rise in temperature of just 2°C (3.6°F) could lead to the loss of 56% of suitable land within current wine-growing regions around the globe. A rise of 4°C (7.2°F), meanwhile, could result in a shocking 85% reduction. The study lists white grapes, including Ugni Blanc and Riesling, and reds like Grenache as those that might be affected.
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Favoured by trendy brunch spots across the globe, avocados have earned themselves a kind of cult status in recent years. But despite their popularity, their future remains uncertain. Some 72 gallons of water are required to grow just 1lb of avocados, and it's thought that available resources won't be able to sustain the mighty global demand – especially given that California, a key avocado-growing state, has suffered severe droughts in the past decade.
There are three species of bluefin tuna: Atlantic, Pacific and Southern. All three are used in sashimi and sushi, two Japanese delicacies – and sadly, all three are either vulnerable or endangered. The high demand for bluefin meat has led to overfishing (and illegal fishing) over the decades, and this has resulted in a severe decline in the populations of these tuna. If this continues, the species could be lost forever.
Tuna aren't the only fish that face an uncertain future. Studies suggest that ocean acidification could have an impact on salmon populations too. As the world's oceans absorb carbon dioxide, the PH level of seawater decreases, causing them to become more acidic. This affects calcifying species such as oysters, clams and sea urchins, which use calcium carbonate minerals to build up their skeletons and shells. In turn, salmon – and other fish higher up the food chain that rely on these organisms for food – could struggle to survive.
Chickpeas, the key ingredient in hummus, are another food that could be impacted by climate change. India is the largest chickpea producer in the world, and harvests here have been severely impacted by rising temperatures and droughts. As a result, it's reported that chickpea production around the globe has been reduced by 40-50%. Fear not, though: 'drought-resistant' chickpeas are being tested as a response.
There's nothing better than pouring a glug of maple syrup over a generous stack of pancakes – but climate change could threaten your favourite weekend breakfast. Rising temperatures in US states such as Vermont and Michigan are impacting the growth of sugar maples and altering and shrinking tapping seasons too. While producers are doing their best to mitigate the effects, maple syrup operations may be pushed farther north over the coming decades and, in the worst case scenario, could eventually dry up completely.
Peaches, and other stone fruits, have also fallen foul of climate change. The main problem is fluctuating and unpredictable temperatures, which can lead to depleted crops and an unpredictable harvest season. Early warm spells and intense cold snaps damaged yields in northeastern US states in 2016, and it's thought that history could easily repeat itself in the future.
Vanilla ice cream, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla lattes... It's easy to take this common spice for granted but, the truth is, vanilla is not an easy crop to farm, and its future is at risk. According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), Madagascar produces 85% of the world's vanilla, but a changing climate means the country's already unpredictable weather patterns are becoming all the more volatile. Intense tropical cyclones, such as the one in 2017, have the power to devastate vanilla harvests and have a severe impact on the Madagascan economy and its people.
Love PB&J sandwiches or a slather of peanut butter on your morning toast? You might need to find an alternative. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US describes peanuts as 'fairly fussy plants' that require very specific conditions to grow: 'up to five months of fairly consistent warmth, combined with about 20 to 40 inches of rain'. However, drought and heat waves across peanut-growing states in the US (including Texas and Georgia) are putting the future of peanuts, and by default peanut butter, at risk. In a bid to save them, experts are now researching drought-resilient peanut varieties.
An orange makes for a refreshing snack, but these well-loved citrus fruits are at risk across the globe. Citrus greening disease, or huanglongbing, has affected oranges in places including Florida, where it has caused a '72% decline in the production of oranges used for juice and other products' in the US over the last decade. The disease, which causes yellowing leaves, and eventually kills off the branches and roots of citrus trees, has also been detected in Bhutan, Brazil, China and elsewhere.
It might be hard to imagine a world without chocolate, but the sweet stuff is likely to be severely impacted by our changing climate, according to a study by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. The report analysed plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast – two of the world's major cocoa producers – and concluded that, if temperatures were to rise by 2.3°C (3.9°F) by 2050, the land suitable for cocoa production here could reduce by a whopping 50%.
From one beloved comfort food to another – climate change could impact the production of pasta too. Pasta is made from durum wheat, a crop that favours cooler temperatures and can be negatively affected by too much (or too little) rainfall. Past reports have indicated that durum yields in Italy could see a steep decline from 2020, while durum farmers in North Dakota have already felt the effects.
Rising sea levels as a result of climate change are a threat to your favourite hot sauce. Tabasco has been made from fiery red pepper plants on Avery Island, Louisiana for more than a century but, according to a report by The Guardian, the island's marshes are now retreating by around 30 feet (9m) per year – and it's thought that a further sea-level rise of two feet (0.6m) could almost entirely engulf the isle in water. While the company could move production elsewhere, a 150-year-old tradition would be lost.
More bad news for seafood lovers: mussels could be severely impacted by rising ocean temperatures. A study by Gothenburg University found that a temperature rise of just 2°C (3.6°F) could make mussels inedible, since the warmer temperatures allow harmful bacteria and a type of toxin-producing plankton to thrive. Both can build up in mussels, making them poisonous to humans – and swiping them from menus across the globe.
A vegetarian staple, tofu is also likely to suffer as a result of climate change. A 2017 study by the Institute for Climate Impact Research, revealed in The Independent, warned of the impacts of global warming on essential crops including maize, wheat and soybean, which is used to make tofu. The report found that, by 2100, soybean crop yields could see a 40% reduction in the US.
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Rice is another essential crop that could feel the effects of climate change. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warns of the impact of rising sea levels on rice production in major river deltas, while dry conditions have affected yields elsewhere. If rice production is seriously depleted, this could lead to significant food shortages across the globe.
Bananas are the world's favourite fruit, and a staple food for many across the globe – but they could be at risk. The Cavendish banana, the most commonly produced kind, could be wiped out by a strain of the Fusarium fungus. This fungus leads to Panama disease, which causes bananas to blacken and spoil from the inside out. The spread of the disease in Latin America caused Colombia, a country whose economy relies heavily on banana production, to declare a national state of emergency in 2019.
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