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Climate Change Will Make Food Less Tasty, Australian Scientists Say
Climate Change Will Make Food Less Tasty, Australian Scientists Say
Jan 17, 2024 3:36 PM

Climate change may leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

A recent study by Australian scientists warns that rising temperatures will affect food production and leave a variety of foods tasteless.

Fruits, grains, seafood and vegetables will all be vulnerable to the according to Appetite for Change, a new study conducted by David Karoly and Richard Eckard of the University of Melbourne.

“It’s when you hear that the toast and raspberry jam you have for breakfast, for example, might not be as readily available in 50 years time,” Eckard, an associate professor, said in a news release.

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Climate change is affecting Australia in several ways. Temperatures across the continent have Fahrenheit since 1910, according to Climate Change in Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology projects a reduction in soil moisture, as well, due to an increase in evaporation rates.

Australia’s agricultural regions face an increased threat from heat waves and bushfires because of climate change, said professor and study co-author David Karoly. Roughly 93 percent of Australia’s food is produced by farms in these areas.

Raspberries could be just one of the foods affected, according to the report. Raspberries require multiple factors for a good crop yield, including substantial winter chilling, cool summer temperatures and a harvest period without rain. Rising temperatures will cause erratic flowering and uneven bud break, leading to less flavorful or poor tasting berries.

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The impacts on farmers will also be dire, according to Anna Rose, national manager of Earth Hour Australia and 2015 Australian Geographic Society Conservationist of the Year. Farmers will lose theirlivelihoods, and the quality of food will decrease as prices increase.

“If we don’t tackle this issue head on and make the move to renewable energy while committing to a stronger target to cut carbon pollution, Australia is on track to import more fruit and vegetables than we export by the end of the century,” Rose said.

In light of the study’s findings, Australians are working to make a change. is an event celebrated in support of Australia’s farmers and local food products. Aussies will pull together by turning off lights and holding food events to highlight climate change’s dangerous effects on the country’s agriculture sector.

Noted Eckard: “It makes you appreciate that global warming is not a distant phenomenon but a very real occurrence that is already affecting the things we enjoy in our everyday lives, including the most common of foods we eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: The Worst Foods for the Environment

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