Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

It seems that meals, including fish, chips and chicken, could be at a risk as a result of climate change. A new report by WWF has found that many favorites may taste different, need substitute ingredients and cost more, as climate change could threaten  the supply of the key ingredient.

The report revealed that by 2050, chicken could be transformed as the chickens will be fed on alternative feeds such as insects and algae. Chickens will need to be fed on alternatives of soy if production is hit by higher temperatures and changes to rainfall. Other key ingredients of these dishes such as rice, tomatoes and onions could all suffer price hikes and shortages as a result of fluctuating weather. Rice prices are also expected to rise by a third, while we can see onion shortages caused by an increase in disease.

Meanwhile, traditional cod – long the staple in fish and chips – could be replaced by anchovies, as warmer oceans cause smaller species to displace cod populations.

Cheese production is also likely to get affected due to heat stress on dairy herds and resulting impact on milk production, means cheese ploughman’s sandwich could be a thing of the past.

Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Energy and Climate at WWF commented, “The threat to these classic dishes just shows that climate change could impact every aspect of our lives in future if we don’t act now. That’s why this Earth Hour we want people to eat more sustainably. That doesn’t necessarily means going vegan or vegetarian – it means each of us cutting back on the amount of fish, meat and dairy we eat. If each of us take a small action together, we can combat climate change and future-proof our beloved dishes.”

By manika