Climate change puts South Korea's beloved cabbage dish at risk

Published 2024년 9월 3일

Tridge summary

Climate change is posing a significant threat to South Korea's iconic kimchi, particularly the napa cabbage variety, as rising temperatures are making the vegetable more susceptible to fungal infections and making it mushy. Traditional cabbage kimchi might become unsalvageable during the summer due to these changes. The area dedicated to highland cabbage farming has seen a dramatic reduction, with projections indicating a further decline. This is attributed to higher temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and increased pest challenges. The industry already faces pressures from cheaper imports from China, but the government is exploring the development of warmer-climate and more resilient crop varieties. However, farmers express concerns about the potential higher costs and altered flavors of these new varieties, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to ensure the sustainability of South Korea's cultural heritage through kimchi.

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Original content

GANGNEUNG: South Korea's famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. "We hope these predictions don’t come to pass," plant pathologist and virologist Lee Young-gyu said. "Cabbage likes to grow in cool climate and adapts to a very narrow band of temperatures," Lee said. "The optimal temperatures are between 18 and 21 Celsius." In the fields and in kitchens - both commercial and domestic - farmers and kimchi makers are ...

Source: Channelnewsasia