Strawberries might become rarer and more expensive due to higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to research from the University of Waterloo (Canada).
Using a new analysis method, researchers discovered that a temperature increase of 3 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 1.7 °C) could reduce strawberry yields by up to 40%.
Canada is a major importer of strawberries from California. In 2022, Canadian imports of strawberries from California reached a value of 322.8 million US dollars (approximately 304 million Euros).
Impact of Climate Change
"This research demonstrates how climate change can directly affect the foods we love, highlighting the importance of sustainable agricultural practices to maintain a stable food supply for everyone," said Dr. Poornima Unnikrishnan, a postdoctoral researcher in the Systems Design Engineering Department at the University of Waterloo.
Sustainable agricultural practices could include irrigation optimization to ensure adequate water supply during heat waves, the use of drip irrigation, scheduling operations to avoid periods of extreme heat, as well as the use of shading plants and installing shading structures to mitigate heat stress.
Research Findings
The research team consisted of Unnikrishnan, Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam, also from the Systems Design Engineering Department at Waterloo, and Dr. Fakhri Karray, from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi.
They began their analysis with strawberries due to their popularity and their notoriously short shelf life. The researchers claim that these findings suggest potential implications for the availability of all products imported from California.
The researchers used a model that predicts the probability of crop loss by linking air temperature anomalies to strawberry yields.
This process allowed for measuring greater variability over time and achieving the most accurate results to date.
Outlook
"We hope that a better understanding of how rising temperatures influence crop yields will help in developing sustainable agricultural responses by the government and farmers," said Ponnambalam.
"There is an urgent need for farmers to adopt new strategies to tackle global warming."
Strawberries are one of the most profitable crops for the economies of California and the United States. In 2022 alone, the strawberry market was valued at over 3 billion US dollars (approximately 2.8 billion Euros).
Photo: Petya Didenco
