The continued overheating of our planet has led to many consequences — some predictable and some unforeseen. Among them: an ongoing shortage of the cult favorite Sriracha hot sauce. And the problem is only getting worse, The Washington Post reported.
What is happening?
The Sriracha shortage was first reported last year, after persisting drought conditions in Mexico made it much more difficult to grow the red jalapeños the sauce is made from.
Since then, the situation has not improved.
Because of the ongoing drought and lack of rainfall, "there's been basically no production of jalapeños," Guillermo Murray-Tortarolo, a climate scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Institute for Ecosystem and Sustainability Research, told the Post.
Huy Fong, the company that makes Sriracha, recently canceled all shipments to wholesalers and informed them that Sriracha production has been put on hold until after Labor Day (four and a half months from the writing of this article), as reported by Food and Wine.
"After reevaluating our supply of chili, we have determined that it is too green to proceed with production as it is affecting the color of the product," the California-based company wrote in a letter to wholesalers, per Axios.
Why is this concerning?
While this is obviously concerning for fans of Sriracha and for restaurants that rely on the brand for signature dishes, the implications of the shortage reach far beyond one type of hot sauce.
The drought that precipitated the Sriracha shortage is a result of changing weather patterns that have been fueled by the overheating of our planet, which is largely the result of our reliance on dirty energy sources such as gas and oil.
These changing weather patterns have led to not just drought but all types of extreme weather conditions — from hurricanes to wildfires to flooding and more.
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The growing of many other types of food — including olives, sugar, and too many more to list — has been negatively impacted as well.
What is being done about it?
While Huy Fong explores options for new jalapeño suppliers to produce more Sriracha, the underlying problem here will not improve until our society moves beyond outdated and harmful dirty energy sources and instead embraces clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Andean communities in Peru are looking to the past for answers on growing more resilient crops, leaning on ancestral farming practices to boost yields. Using these methods, they've been able to grow hundreds of varieties of potatoes and grains for thousands of families.
Scientists are also hard at work creating genetically engineered, heat-resistant plants using modern technology, and one company is building indoor vertical farms capable of growing 350 times more food than conventional farms.
With these solutions, there's a glimmer of hope for the much-loved Sriracha sauce as scientists continue to find creative ways to feed the planet.
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