New study uncovers how uncontrollable phenomenon is threatening coffee, wine, and chocolate: 'Cannot be ignored'

Some of your favorite foods, including chocolate, coffee, and wine, may be at risk due to the changing climate. 

What's happening?

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters and shared on IOP Science found that luxury crops, such as cacao, wine crops, and coffee, are at risk because of a changing climate that has led to rising global temperatures and more extreme weather events, including intense rainfall, cold snaps, and heat waves. 

The study looked at whether climate interventions, particularly stratospheric sulfate aerosol injections, could help protect these luxury crops. SAI is a hypothetical solar geoengineering method in which reflective aerosols are injected into the stratosphere to block some of the incoming sunlight and cool the Earth's surface.

The results showed that SAI did reduce surface temperatures but failed to consistently preserve the climate conditions needed to grow and maintain these crops. 

"Reducing temperature with SAI alone isn't enough," said Dr. Ariel Morrison, the study's co-author, per Talker News. "… Natural climate variability also cannot be ignored — it leads to a wide range of outcomes under the same SAI scenario that could affect the livelihoods of farmers growing cacao, coffee, and grapes."

Why is this study concerning?

If the planet continues warming and climate intervention won't work to help farmers grow these crops, chances are these farmers may quit growing them, which would lead to shortages in chocolate, coffee, and wine — or the disappearance of these foods.

Just a year or two of poor crop yields can harm the viability of small farms and vineyards, as they don't have the means to adapt to an increasing number of environmental changes, especially due to constrained budgets. Without successful climate interventions, farms and vineyards could fail, leading to job losses in the agricultural industry and higher prices at the grocery store for what little coffee, wine, and chocolate remain. 

What can be done to protect luxury crops?

While ideally, countries and governments will come together to reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere via legislation, the study of additional climate interventions remains critical. SAI helped these crops somewhat, but other interventions may prove to be more beneficial. Pairing interventions may also be a solution to the problems of extreme weather and low crop yields. 

"Adaptation strategies tailored to local conditions, investment in resilient agricultural practices, and global cooperation are essential to saving these crops and the communities that depend on them," Dr. Morrison said, per Talker News.

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