Experts reveal the six ways climate change affected Christmas dinner this year
This year’s heatwave affected the production of carrots, sprouts, stuffing, brandy butter, custard and ice cream, as well as pigs in blankets.
Farmers battled hard to bring Christmas dinner to our tables this year – due to the heatwave’s effect on crops and livestock, according to experts.
The baking summer caused problems for staple foods and festive favourites alike – and climate change predictions suggest Christmas dinner as we know it will be even tougher to put together in future.
Dr Nicola Cannon, principal lecturer in agronomy at the Royal Agricultural University in Gloucestershire, said: “If you sit down to a Christmas lunch, please think about the complex issues farmers deal with to bring this special meal to your table.
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) now predict 1.5C temperature rises above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
“So, the challenges of food production in 2018 are almost certainly going to be experienced more frequently.”
This is how the extreme weather of 2018 affected Christmas dinner, according to the university:
– Potatoes: Potatoes were planted late this year and farmers without irrigation saw reduced growth due to moisture-stressed plants, resulting in lower yields and quality.