Climate change threatens tasty things

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Maple syrup and honey, our sweet Canadian products, are among "endangered foods" because of climate change, along with chocolate, coffee, German beer, American peanut butter, Italian pasta and French wine.

That's according to a recent article in The Huffington Post Canada, an online magazine. In Canada and the northeastern United States, shorter cycles of below-freezing weather mean sugar maples aren't producing enough sap. Likewise, inclement weather is taking its toll on beehives.

Chocolate is threatened because of rising temperatures in Ghana and The Ivory Coast, where most of the world's coca is grown. In the United States, last year's peanut crop failed in the hot weather.

Italians may have to import durum wheat used to make pasta if temperatures continue to increase. Scientists at the British Meteorological Office warn durum could almost disappear from Italy this century.

In Germany, climate change-induced water shortages threaten barley and hop production, while strict regulations forbid using cheaper alternatives such as corn. BF