For more than four decades, Huy Fong Foods has been making the world-famous hot sriracha sauce in Irwindale, California – until the worsening climate crisis finally hit the company. The intense heat and drought have hit the hot pepper crops that produce sriracha, forcing the company to suspend production until at least the fall of this year. Peppers are not the only problem. California, a major supplier of fruit and vegetables to Canada and the rest of the United States, is now in its third year of severe drought. This year was the driest recorded for the state, affecting the main crop area and most of its crops. “For peppers and tomatoes, it has more to do with heat stress. Last week we had 40 about 40, 41 degrees Celsius. And the pollen actually eliminates at this stage, so that no fruit or flowers stick to these temperatures, “he said. Allen Van Deynze, director of the Center for Seed Biotechnology at the University of California, Davis. “And we have more and more of these high temperatures.” As the global climate crisis accelerates, California’s challenges are set to worsen and could soon affect food supply to Canada. The floating houses sit in the waters of Lake Oroville, near Oroville, California, in April 2022. This year was the driest year on record for the state, making it difficult for many crops to grow – including peppers entering sriracha sauce. (Rich Pedroncelli / The Associated Press)
Because Canada can be affected
About 20 percent of Canada’s total crop imports come from California alone, valued at about $ 2.8 billion in 2021. In 2020, Canada bought 95 percent of its pepper and chili pepper exports to California and is the largest buyer of other crops affected by extreme weather this year. Canada accounted for 97 percent of California’s fresh tomato exports, 70 percent of its strawberries and 87 percent of its lettuce, among other crops. California is also experiencing the 22nd year of a historic “severe drought” in the southwestern United States. A recent study found that 2000-2021 was the driest period of 21 years in the region since 800, and a large man-made climate change. Prolonged drought has led to water restrictions for irrigation-based state farmers as water levels fall in California reservoirs. “I do not think we have faced a challenge like this year. In the past, we were always lucky to have two years of drought and then a year of flooding. We were able to conquer this water because they have all these reservoirs,” said Van Deynze. “So when it’s a flood year … we can fill those tanks and release water when we need it. But our tanks are 50 to 70 percent full, which is not where we want to be. Certainly not in June. . “ California has been in a severe drought since 2000. The period 2000-2021 was found to be the driest period of 21 years since the year 800, with dry conditions due to man-made climate change. (Ethan Swope / The Associated Press)
Can Canadian farmers bridge the gap?
While local growers in Canada can fill some of the gaps, experts say the limited growing season means the country cannot replace all of its food imports at this time. “I think there may be some shortages. We are just starting our growing season in Canada, so fortunately some of the fruits and vegetables we usually import from California, such as berries, leafy greens, can be produced here. could reduce some potential product shortages, “said Simon Somogyi, a professor of food business management at the University of Guelph. But other foods – almonds, peanuts, table grapes, citrus fruits – do not grow well in Canadian climates. “It’s very nice in Canada to produce them. So there may be some potential shortages in these types of products and that usually leads to higher prices.” According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Impact, food production in North America is increasingly being affected. Climate change has generally reduced productivity by 12.5 percent since 1961, according to the report, with the biggest losses as you move south from Canada to the southern US and Mexico. This means that Sriracha’s lack could be a warning of future disturbances – and underscores the role of local Canadian farmers in covering where they can.
Local farms show the way
Haico Krijgsman grows a wide variety of hot peppers on his farm just outside Ottawa and produces a popular range of hot sauces. He says the re-focus on local products will mean some changes for consumers who are accustomed to seeing many varieties of fruits and vegetables in supermarkets all year round. Haico Krijgsman says his hot sauce company grew out of a hot pepper growing hobby that got out of control. (Francis Ferland / CBC) “If you go back to using the resources that are immediately available at the time you are in, you rely much less on importing exotic foods from other countries, either from America or from Europe, as you say,” he said. Krijgsman is from the Netherlands, a country smaller than Nova Scotia, but still one of the largest producers of agricultural products in the world. They do this, Krijgsman said, using innovative methods such as indoor cultivation. “The Netherlands is known for its greenhouses. They grow peppers all year round and do it in an ecological, sustainable way as well. It has been a process that has been going on for decades and they are adapting.” he said. The greenhouse model could help Canada produce food outside of the relatively short growing season. Somogyi says this means investing in innovation and helping farmers build the infrastructure they would need to grow food during the colder months. The plants grow with artificial light and regulated climates in greenhouses near Gouda, the Netherlands, in 2019. (Peter Dejong / The Associated Press) “We could invest more in research and development in fruit and vegetable breeds that will grow better indoors and also do more research and development to make greenhouses more efficient,” he said. “So we would still be dependent on California, but we could remove some of that dependency by really developing our own indoor farming sector.” But greenhouses can come with challenges. Somogyi points out that indoor cultivation can be costly, with sophisticated technology used to automate cultivation. A recent study also warned that a low-carbon greenhouse depends on where it is located – and whether it is close to renewable energy to provide the electricity it needs.
Climate change is here too
Uncertain weather and growing seasons also affect Canadian growers, who are at the forefront of adapting to climate change and suffering from its effects. “We are now experiencing a strong storm warning here in Ottawa with the possibility of tornadoes, which is more or less unheard of,” Krijgsman said. “We had a tornado about four years ago. You can see the weather changing.” The short growing season means that the Krijgsman are also vulnerable to sudden weather changes that could jeopardize their entire crop. Last year, for example, he says he harvested his Thanksgiving crop in October. Last year, he had to rush to his field in mid-September due to an unexpected frost warning. Some of the rarest peppers that Haico Krijgsman grows include the Carolina Reaper and the Scorpion. (Francis Ferland / CBC) All this makes investing in other forms of agriculture, such as greenhouses, more important. “The good thing about greenhouses and other forms of indoor farming is that they usually remove the climate from the equation, which means that the supply of what they produce is much more stable,” Somogyi said. With files from Alice Hopton
