Daily Podcast #9

Source 🎧

A menu of foods we might lose forever | Sam Kass
- TED Health (TED Audio Collective)

Sentences ✍️

1. So good. Now, imagine that’s the last time you ever got to eat those foods, or other everyday staples.
   • staple: a basic or essential item, especially a food that is eaten regularly and in large amounts in a particular place or culture
   • New sentence: Wheat is a staple in Western diets.
2. So not only are we going to see precipitous decline of yields over time, we’re going to see much more frequent disruptions and complete collapses of harvest in certain regions.
   • precipitous: very steep or happening very quickly and suddenly, often in a dangerous or alarming way
   • New sentence: There was a precipitous drop in stock prices after the economic crisis.
3. It is impossible to comprehend the economic upheaval as we start to see these core commodities decline, the food insecurity and malnutrition that will result of this, and the political instability of forced migration and conflict over resource as these core foods that feed most of the world start to decline because of climate.
   • upheaval: A big, sudden change that causes confusion, disorder, or trouble, especially in society, politics, or daily life
   • New sentence: The war brought years of upheaval to the region.
4. Making that journey for those fry back to the ocean nearly impossible.
   • fry: In the context of fish, “fry” are very young, recently hatched fish.
   • New sentence: The fry hid among the rocks to avoid predators.
5. And that’s really a problem because much of the genetic material that we will need to try to produce hybrid varieties that could thrive in much more volatile climate are going to be lost.
   • volatile: Describing something (like a climate or situation) that is unstable, unpredictable, and likely to change quickly and dramatically
   • New sentence: The weather has become more volatile due to climate change.

Summarization 👀

Climate change is threatening many of the foods we love, from coffee and chocolate to peaches, rice, and salmon. Rising temperatures and extreme weather are already reducing crop yields and damaging ecosystems essential for food production.

For instance, 95% of Georgia’s peach crop was lost last year, and models predict the state may no longer support peach farming in the future. Similarly, 60% of global wheat production could soon face persistent drought, leading to lower yields and food insecurity.

Salmon populations are suffering due to reduced river flows and ocean heat waves, while chocolate production regions near the equator may become unsuitable as the climate warms. Coffee is also at risk, with wild varieties facing extinction and shrinking suitable growing areas.

But this isn’t just about food—it’s about our way of life, culture, and future generations. Sam Kass stresses that food systems are both a major driver of environmental damage and a powerful opportunity for climate solutions.

He highlights innovations like microbial carbon-sequestering fungi and low-input crop breeding technologies that could transform agriculture. However, time is running out, and we must move beyond our comfort zones to act with urgency.

The future of food depends on what we do today. By shifting how we grow, produce, and consume food, we can help secure a healthy, sustainable planet for the next generation.