-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email This article was originally published on The Conversation . Just as the world is coming out of the tea crisis , another breakfast staple, orange juice, is in the spotlight. Supply constraints have led to prices shooting up by more than 20% in a year.
The primary cause of this orange juice shortage is the significant hit to the orange harvest in Brazil, which accounts for nearly 70% of the global supply of orange juice. This year's harvest is expected to be down by 24% compared with last year – and this is the third harvest in a row that has been difficult. Orange trees in Brazil, as well as in the US, have been affected by citrus greening disease .
This incurable disease is caused by sap-sucking insects that turn the fruit bitter before killing the tree. Trees in Florida have been hit by a series of hurricanes as well as the greening disease – with both being attributed to climate change . In terms of disease, trees are thought to be most vulnerable in regions where temperatures stay around 25°C for most of the year.
Short-term 'solutions' present major challenges Producers have considered mixing the new crop with frozen juice, which has a lifespan of about two years. And the International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association has been lobbying for UN food regulations to be relaxed to allow the addition of other citrus fruits, such as mandarins, to orange juice. But these "solutions" would present major challenges for the industry .
