Climate Change Is Threatening Ketchup. AI Could Help Save It

Hold on to your Heinz. The latest looming food shortage is likely to include ketchup, coming hard on the heels of last year’s potato chip crisis and runs on mustard (in France, at least). Three summers’ worth of unprecedented high heat in the world’s key tomato-producing regions—Australia, Spain, and California’s central valley—have led to a precipitous decline in tomato paste stocks, the key ingredient for ketchup and other condiments. California, which produces a quarter of the world’s tomatoes, and 95% of the tomatoes used in U.S. canned goods, delivered nearly 5% less than the expected crop in 2021, and 10% less in 2022 due to the ongoing drought, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Record-setting precipitation earlier this year helped with drought conditions, but it also flooded fields, forcing farmers to postpone planting, which could lead to reduced yields this year as well. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Other grocery-store staples are likely to follow suit, as climate change, driven by ever-increasing fossil fuel emissions, wreaks havoc on crops ranging from corn to canola oil. The impacts will ripple through the supply chain in unpredictable ways, leading to higher prices and shortages of not just weather-sensitive fruits and vegetables, but also items that seem about as far removed from nature as a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto is from a cornfield. While our staple crops might eventually adapt...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate climate change Climate Is Everything healthscienceclimate Source Type: news