JOIN USClimate change and its impact on liquor
Many love a drink or two on the weekends, especially as a social activity with friends and relatives. Drinking is a cultural practice in many societies to celebrate a promotion, birthday, wedding or new year. State governments are happy with citizens drinking as it is one of their major sources of revenue. There are diverse views on the health effects of moderate drinking of wine, beer and whiskey, depending on which study you quote. But it is clear that heavy or binge drinking is definitely bad for health and society. Generally, we talk about the impact of climate change on food production, water availability, and biodiversity, but rarely about how climate change could impact liquor. Recently a few studies have highlighted the adverse impact of climate change on wine, beer and whiskey production.
Beer is one of the oldest beverages in the world. The global beer consumption was 177 million kilolitres in 2020. China is the largest beer-consuming country followed by the USA, Brazil and Russia. India ranks 23rd on the beer consumption list. A typical brewery requires 7-10 gallons of water to make one gallon of beer. Beers are usually brewed from malted cereal grains, to which hops and water are added. They are then fermented with yeast. Hops are a form of perennials, with their green cone-shaped flowers giving bitterness, aroma and flavour to the beer. The flower buds of hop plants are expected to decrease as warmer winters lead to earlier and smaller harvests, leading to reduced availability.
A recent paper published by Nature projects that extreme weather events may cause a decrease in barley yield across the world and the loss ranges from 3-17% depending on the severity of conditions. Studies have suggested that increasing and widespread drought and heat, caused by climate change, will cause considerable disruption to global beer production, prices and consumption.
The extreme climatic events indicate a decline in global beer consumption in the range of 4-16% and beer prices could increase by 15%. There is an average decrease in barley production of 18% over the last five-year period, indicating a direct effect on beer production in India. Unseasonal rainfall is also an important factor in barley production in northern and central India. Studies show that these regions are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change affecting crop yields. Thus, climate-related extreme weather events could adversely impact the availability, quality and price of beer.
Wine is made from the fermented juice of grapes. The difference between beer and wine is that wine is made from fruits and beer is made from grains. According to the International State of Vine and Wine report, world wine consumption in 2021 was estimated at 236 million hectoliters. Italy, Spain, France and the United States are the top wine-producing countries in the world, followed by Australia, Chile, Argentina and others. Wine grape production in India has evolved since the 1980s. The global value of wine export is estimated at nearly 40 billion dollars. Wine production and consumption in India are low as compared to other countries, this may change with the rise of the middle class. Wine grapes are cultivated mostly in semiarid regions. The major vineyards in India are in Nashik, Pune, Bengaluru Rural, Vijayapura and other parts of northern Karnataka.
According to a study by the Columbia Climate School, for a 2-degree C warming, the regions of the world suitable for growing wine grapes could shrink by as much as 56%, and with a 4-degree C warming, 85% of the land would no longer be suitable to produce good wines. Climate change and its erratic weather patterns will change the world’s wine map. Regions will disappear and others will emerge. Lack of water, high temperatures, droughts, delays in fruit ripening, and low yields will have a negative impact on wine production and quality. This not only affects yield and quality but also disturbs the grape growing cycle. Other effects on wine include elevated sugar content, reduction in acidity, modification in taste, and loss of colour and intensity.
Whiskey is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages consumed around the world, made from fermented grain mash. Many grains such as barley, corn, rye and wheat are used to make it. Scotland is the biggest producer of whiskey, followed by Ireland, the United States, Japan, Sweden, and India. Whiskey production has grown over the past decade in India and we are among the top whiskey-consuming countries in the world. To enhance flavour, many Indian whiskeys use a dressing of Scotch whiskey. India is also emerging as the fastest-growing global centre for whiskey production.
According to a study from the University College London, the projected increase in temperature and changing rainfall patterns due to global warming will be a serious threat to distillery production over the next 50 years. In particular, these changes will directly impact the three main key ingredients of Scotch whiskey: water, barley and yeast. Whiskey distilleries use approximately 61 billion litres of water annually, with a single litre of whiskey requiring 47 litres. Increasing drought conditions directly affect whiskey distilleries. It will impact the volume and quality of spring barley. Climate change will also affect the flavour of whiskey and may alter its character and composition.
Projected climate change will adversely impact the quality, quantity and price of wine, beer, whisky and other liquors. Very little knowledge exists on such impacts in India. In fact, there is little knowledge even about the impact of climate change on food grains, fruit and vegetable crops in India and Karnataka. Millions of jobs are under threat, and climate change could also deprive millions of their enjoyment. There is a need for serious research on the impact of climate change on crops and food processing industries.
(Ravindranath is a retired professor at Indian Institute of Science and a climate change expert. Sushma B S a research staffer at the same institute)