Climate change is already having a massive impact on our planet. Here are some of the products that could become harder to find because of the climate crisis. Have you noticed that every time you do your monthly shop it seems like your trolley becomes more expensive? With rising prices all round, South Africans are feeling the pinch. But did you know that climate change is also part of the problem and is contributing to the inflation? On 6 May 2022, IPES-Food (International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems) released a special report on the state of the global food crisis and world hunger. The scientists explained that, as climate changes put pressure on local farmers, South African food prices could rise and more money will also need to go to importing food. It’s been happening for years. The World Bank reports that “over the past few decades, Africa’s food import bill has more than tripled”, reaching about R559-billion ($35-billion) a year. Here are shopping cart items that are likely to get more expensive and elusive thanks to climate change. Lower nutritional qualities in crops The IPES-Food report states that the effects of climate change are already “afflicting agriculture regularly enough to create persistent vulnerability, as well as injecting a permanent layer of uncertainty into global markets”. The report also found that climate change “increases competition for land and resources and pushes people into poverty” as extreme weather events (such as droughts and floods as well as changing climates that introduce new pests and change growing conditions) displace millions of people and force them to migrate. In fact, the report also refers to an IPCC finding that estimates that climate change has reduced agricultural productivity growth in Africa by 34% since 1961. One severe factor of climate change is rising carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas levels. This, combined with higher temperatures, affects the metabolism of plants and their growth rates, yields and nutritional qualities. Studies have found that higher CO2 concentrations decrease protein, zinc and iron in wheat grains and decrease protein and vitamin content in rice grains. This means that finding healthier grains is not only going to be more difficult or expensive for shoppers, but could also affect the “nutrient status of about 600 million people”, warns the IPCC. Change in composition of fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables, many of which are key resources in South Africa, are also facing threats from climate change. The IPCC Climate Change ...