Climate change is already changing how we eat. It could get much worse

Chetan Shetty is the executive chef at Passerine, a seasonal Indian restaurant in New York City’s fashionable Flatiron district. “While I can’t definitively say it’s all due to climate change, there’s no doubt that something is shifting,” Hattley said. “Whether it’s the quality of our soil, the pesticides and chemicals we allow on our crops, or even food being grown in less natural conditions, the difference is undeniable.” As one example, Hattley points to watermelons, a crop known for being sensitive to fluctuations in temperature such as those caused by climate change. Red bell peppers, which also suffer in quality and quantity because of climate change, “sometimes have an odd, dark discoloration inside and don’t seem as vibrant or crisp as they once were.” There is more than Hattley’s hunch to let people know their food’s quality is dropping because of climate change. For example, the floods in North Carolina in September 2024 severely affected Appalachian truffle foragers.” We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism He also mentioned how climate change is driving coral ecosystems to extinction, which will hurt his bottom line by “disrupting the delicate balance of the food chain.” If things continue to spiral out of control, what’s different on the menu might be the least of our problems.