Avocados
Avocado lovers might be in for a shock. The U.S. imports about 80% of its avocados from Mexico, but 2024 saw repeated disruptions due to cartel violence in Michoacán, the top-producing region. In February 2025, the USDA temporarily suspended avocado imports for the third time in 12 months after threats against U.S. inspectors. This instability has led to a 25% reduction in imports compared to 2023, according to the Hass Avocado Board. Furthermore, drought and water scarcity in both Mexico and California—another key region—are causing crop yields to plummet. Prices have soared, and industry experts warn that prolonged instability could lead to empty shelves in major grocery chains. If the situation remains unresolved, Americans may soon have to say goodbye to their beloved avocado toast.
Chocolate
Chocolate is facing its biggest crisis in decades. Both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which together supply over 60% of the world’s cocoa, have reported record-low harvests in 2024 and 2025 due to a combination of disease and extreme weather. The International Cocoa Organization reported a 35% drop in global cocoa production in the last year. As a result, wholesale cocoa prices surged to an all-time high in March 2025, making it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to secure beans. Major chocolate brands like Mars and Hershey have warned of shrinking chocolate bar sizes and potential product shortages. If crop diseases such as swollen shoot virus continue to spread, chocolate could become a rare treat or vanish from shelves altogether.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup production is at risk due to climate change. The 2024–2025 winter was one of the warmest on record in the Northeast U.S. and Canada, with average temperatures nearly 3°C above normal, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The sap season, which requires freezing nights and thawing days, was shortened by nearly a month. Quebec, which produces 70% of the world’s maple syrup, reported its lowest yield in 25 years. The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers tapped into its strategic reserve, but stocks are dwindling. If warming trends persist, maple syrup could become a rare luxury or disappear from store shelves.
Oranges
Oranges, especially from Florida, are under siege from citrus greening disease. The USDA reported that the 2024–2025 Florida orange harvest was the smallest since 1937, with a 62% decrease from the previous year. Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing, causes trees to produce bitter, misshapen fruit and eventually die. Despite millions spent on research and eradication, the disease remains unstoppable. As a result, orange juice prices hit record highs in early 2025, and several juice manufacturers announced they would switch to alternative fruit blends. The continued spread of citrus greening could mean oranges—and pure orange juice—may soon vanish from U.S. supermarkets.
Coffee
Coffee lovers face a brewing crisis. Brazil, responsible for about 40% of the world’s coffee, experienced severe drought in 2024 followed by damaging frosts, reducing yields by 27%, according to Brazil’s National Supply Company (CONAB). Vietnam, the world’s second-largest coffee producer, saw similar weather disruptions and a 15% drop in robusta bean output. Supply chain issues and increased global demand have only added to the pressure. Several major coffee chains have raised prices or warned of menu changes. Unless weather patterns improve, coffee shortages could become the new normal, making your morning cup a rare and expensive indulgence.
Bananas
Bananas are at risk from Panama disease, a soil-borne fungus (Tropical Race 4) that has devastated plantations in Asia and Africa and is now spreading through Latin America. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports that the fungus has been detected in Colombia and Peru, two of the top exporters to North America and Europe. The Cavendish banana, the variety found in nearly all stores, has no known resistance to this disease. Experts warn that without a breakthrough, global banana exports could fall by as much as 50% within the next decade. Supermarkets are already reporting supply disruptions and rising prices in 2025, and the familiar yellow banana could soon vanish.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter, a staple in American households, is threatened by ongoing drought and disease in the U.S. Southeast. The National Peanut Board reported that Georgia, which produces over half of the country’s peanuts, saw yields drop by 30% in 2024 due to drought and aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxins, toxic substances produced by mold, have become more common in warmer, wetter harvest seasons. Several major brands recalled products in late 2024, leading to empty shelves and consumer concern. If these trends continue, peanut butter could become increasingly scarce in stores.
Salmon
Wild salmon populations have plummeted along the U.S. West Coast. In 2025, the Pacific Fishery Management Council closed all commercial salmon fishing in California and most of Oregon for the second year in a row. Historic droughts, damming, habitat loss, and warming waters have pushed Chinook and Coho salmon numbers to record lows. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported a 90% drop in returning salmon compared to 2015. In response, grocery stores are struggling to source wild salmon, and prices for farmed alternatives have surged. Without significant recovery efforts, wild-caught salmon could disappear from shelves entirely.
Rice
Rice, a staple for billions, faces mounting challenges from climate extremes. India, the world’s largest rice exporter, imposed a ban on non-basmati rice exports in 2024 after erratic monsoons and flooding slashed domestic harvests by 18%. Southeast Asia experienced similar weather disruptions, with Thailand and Vietnam reporting reduced outputs. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization noted that global rice inventories fell to their lowest levels since 2016. Supermarkets in several countries, including the U.K. and some U.S. cities, reported sporadic shortages and rationing in early 2025. If these conditions persist, rice could become less available and more expensive worldwide.
Honey
Honey is increasingly scarce due to the alarming decline of bee populations. The Bee Informed Partnership’s 2024 survey found that 48% of managed bee colonies in the U.S. died over the past year, the second-highest loss on record. Factors include pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change. In Europe, similar declines have led to a 36% drop in honey output since 2020. With fewer bees pollinating flowers, honey supplies have dwindled and prices have climbed. Some stores in the U.S. and Europe are already reporting limited stock and smaller packaging. If bee populations continue to fall, honey could become a disappearing delicacy.
Wheat Products
Wheat-based foods, from bread to pasta, are under threat from extreme weather and war. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, once the world’s breadbasket, has disrupted exports and led to a 29% decrease in global wheat supplies since 2022, according to the International Grains Council. In addition, record heatwaves and drought in the U.S., Canada, and Australia in 2024 reduced yields further. Supermarkets in Europe and the Middle East have reported sporadic bread shortages and price hikes. If these trends continue, wheat products could become less reliable and more costly on store shelves.
Potatoes
Potato harvests in 2024 hit a historic low in several key regions. The United Kingdom, the fourth-largest potato producer in Europe, saw yields drop 20% due to persistent wet weather and flooding. In the U.S., Idaho and Washington reported a 15% decrease, with farmers citing drought and blight disease as major factors. McDonald’s and other fast-food chains have warned of potential French fry shortages, and some grocery chains have introduced purchase limits on potatoes. If extreme weather persists, potatoes could become a rare find in supermarkets.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes face double trouble from both climate and disease. California, which supplies nearly a third of the world’s processed tomatoes, experienced severe drought in 2024, cutting yields by 25%. At the same time, outbreaks of tomato brown rugose fruit virus have swept through greenhouses in the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. The California Tomato Growers Association reports that paste and canned tomato products are already in short supply. If these threats aren’t controlled, tomato-based staples like pasta sauce and ketchup could become much less common in stores.
Apples
Apple orchards in the U.S. and Europe are under mounting pressure from climate change. Late frosts in spring 2024 wiped out early blossoms in Michigan and New York, the two top U.S. apple states, leading to a 35% drop in production. In France and Germany, heatwaves and drought damaged fruit quality and size, with harvests down by up to 40%. The U.S. Apple Association noted that some varieties, including Honeycrisp and Gala, are especially at risk. Supermarkets have responded by raising prices and reducing variety selections. If erratic weather persists, apples may become a rare treat in the produce aisle.
Milk and Dairy Products
Dairy production is falling as extreme heat and drought affect herds worldwide. California, the largest dairy-producing state in the U.S., saw a 12% drop in milk output in 2024 due to water shortages and heat stress in cows, according to the California Milk Advisory Board. New Zealand and Australia, major exporters, reported similar declines. Feed costs have soared, leading some farmers to quit the industry. As a result, prices for milk, cheese, and butter are at their highest in over a decade in the U.S. and Europe. If extreme weather and high costs persist, dairy products may become less common in stores.
Pineapples
Pineapple production is threatened by changing weather patterns and disease outbreaks. Costa Rica, which supplies over 80% of pineapples to North America and Europe, experienced severe floods in late 2024 that destroyed thousands of acres of plantation. In addition, mealybug wilt disease has spread rapidly, reducing yields by 25% according to the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture. Exporters have warned that shipments are down, and retailers in the U.K. and U.S. have reported shortages since early 2025. If these issues are not resolved soon, pineapples could become a rare luxury in grocery stores.
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