9 Thanksgiving Meals That Climate Change Could Completely Transform

Food is at the center of many American holidays. And changes to the climate pattern will affect where and how food is grown. The Guardian looks at the 9 Thanksgiving meals that might be affected by climate change if it continues at the current rate.

Turkeys depend on corn for food so changes to the corn crop could substantially affect the turkey market. Since corn cannot seed at a temperature higher than ninety-five degrees, says US food guru Michael Pollan, production may eventually need to move north. And if it moves as north as Canada, we’ll be importing more of our Thanksgiving meals.

Pumpkin Pie supplies were put at risk in 2009 as floods swept Morton, Illinois, where most domestic pumpkins are grown. Substantial increases in rainfall may endanger current pumpkin infrastructure. Concerning the crust, the the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirms that world wheat yields are down due to rising temperatures.

Wine is especially sensitive to climate change because the vines that grow grapes are perennial plants, meaning they cannot be replanted in a new location. Vineyards take generations to mature and when temperatures reach over ninety five degrees, the sugar in grapes breaks down and spoils the crop.

In his Big Think interview, Michael Pollan explains how cooking and eating reaches into our communal and ritualistic heritage. There is much more at stake in our meals than we realize, says Pollan.

—