TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Global warming is significantly affecting food prices and agriculture, with experts warning that Taiwan may soon experience a winterless future. Research indicates that keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius this century is unlikely, underscoring the urgent crisis we all face.
Extreme weather and water shortages have caused orange juice production in Florida and Brazil to hit a historic low. This drop has driven the price of a 340-gram can of frozen concentrated orange juice to US$4.28, a 50% increase from 2020. Due to these adverse conditions, Brazil's 2024 orange yield is expected to decrease by 24.36% from its peak.
Taiwan's green smoothie business has felt the pressure of rising import costs for fruits like oranges, apples, and kiwis. Chen Hsin-i (陳欣宜), a green smoothie vendor in Taiwan, recounted her experience. “Since we started in 2016, the kiwi, apples, and oranges we use have all seen significant price increases. Some of these items have almost doubled in price,” stated Chen.
Lydia Fang (方君維), Greenpeace Climate & Energy Campaigner, noted that soybean prices in Brazil and Paraguay have surged by 81% over three years due to drought, which has affected livestock industries. She also observed that climate factors have reduced the yield of water peaches from Lala Mountain (拉拉山) by 20%, increasing prices by 10%.
The 2024 National Climate Change Science Report from Taiwan warns that if greenhouse gas emissions remain uncontrolled, Taiwan's warming trend will continue through the century. Summers could extend up to seven months, with days exceeding 36 degrees Celsius increasing by 75 days. Rice production may drop by 13% and corn by 10%.
Academia Sinica researcher Hsu Huang-hsiung (許晃雄) indicated that global heatwaves might occur more frequently and intensely from May to October. Hsu believes that limiting the temperature rise to 1.5°C is already impossible and warns that if the temperature rises between 2°C and 3°C, winter might only last 40 to 50 days.
As food crises and price pressures loom, the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and slow the pace of global warming has become a critical issue for our survival.