The effects of climate change will certainly impact the economy in unforeseen ways, but experts are fairly certain that beer will be a major casualty of unstable weather conditions. Many believe that the price of the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage could as much as double due to shortages in barley that could occur because of climate change. As temperatures fluctuate, sea levels rise, and weather becomes more extreme, some of the major crops that drive parts of the world economy will be harder and harder to grow successfully. Barley is a notoriously finicky crop, and a key ingredient in beer. Research by the scientific journal Nature Plants created models for the impacts of climate change on crops, and heat waves along with rising temperatures will reduce the world barley crops by as much as 17 percent.
The focus on barley will almost certainly diminish if other, more essential crops are also harder to grow in an unstable climate. Barley may be essential in beer, but its not very important in much else, so the niche crop will become more of a specialty item. Unfortunately, driving the prices of beer will make it a specialty item. The social aspect of beer is part how well it performs economically, and this leads to increased sales, but perhaps a new drink will topple the ancient beverage’s dominant place in the market.
