Next Food Victim On The Climate Change Hit List: Hummus

As climate change continues to affect the planet, we get more and more updates on the effect on various food supplies: our chocolate may be in peril, our tequila limited. Compared to these potentially catastrophic events, this latest update doesn't fill us with that much dread, frankly, except for the fact that the planet is dissolving: The New York Times reports today that a drought in India is affecting the chickpea crop, which will in turn affect the hummus supply.

The Times article points to a shortage in London, where hummus is currently increasing in popularity: "Those limited supplies of chickpeas have combined with rising demand for hummus in Britain to send prices higher. Average prices for the dish at supermarket are 12 percent higher than a year ago," compared to the average grocery increase at under 4 percent:

It is the latest example of weather leading to poor harvests in one part of the world, and resulting in shortfalls and price rises at supermarkets far away. And it serves as a reminder of the complexity and fragility of the vast global system putting food on the plates of consumers around the world.

All very true, and we can only imagine that the further ramifications of various screwed-up weather systems, like a Madagascar cyclone affecting vanilla supply, are only going to going to get worse. But while we feel for those Brit hummus fans, currently, at least, there are still some other options: How's the eggplant supply? Try some baba ghanoush.