When all else fails on the climate fearmongering front, try warning that beer shortages are likely in the near future. The Financial Times reports that the Chief Executive of the Japanese brewer Asahi, Atsushi Katsuki, says climate change could lead to beer shortages as warmer temperatures hit barley and hop supplies around the world. Fortune goes into full climate tragedy mode, noting: “Beer could face an existential crisis.” Needless to say, missing from all this doomsday drivel is a note that barley is the most adaptable cereal and can grow in many areas from the sub-tropics to the Arctic. Meanwhile, world hop production has never been in better health with global acreage rising in 2021 for the eighth year in succession.
This is not the first time the booze gets it in the climate crisis, with the need to constantly supply political messaging to promote Net Zero. Earlier this year, America celebrated National Margarita Day with CNN warning that climate change could be coming for the seemingly luckless libation. Behind the scare was some made-up nonsense about the weather affecting the ingredients going into tequila, despite the fact that since 1995 tequila production has increased six-fold, and from 2018 it has doubled.
Pushing the beer scare, the Asahi boss spoke of significant falls in the barley harvest and the quality of hops under the “UN’s four degrees scenario”. This assumption from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is used to posit a rise of nearly 3°C in less than 30 years, a ‘pathway’ that is an insult to scientific realism given that global temperatures have barely risen by 0.2°C over the last 25 years. Perhaps Mr. Katsuki was imbibing a little too freely of his excellent product when he told the FT that volatile weather has already interfered with barley yields in recent years. Curiously he added that climate change “had a bigger impact on the price of barley than even Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.
A great deal of barley ends up with brewers, and with important sectors like beer considered a mature business, with steady rather than spectacular growth, the demand for the grain is fairly constant. Like all harvests it can be affected by local weather conditions but the Statistica graph above shows a steady trend with 2020-21 posting a record total of 160.91 million metric tons. If there are to be dramatic shortages in barley going forward due to climate change, they have yet to show up in the production record. Meanwhile, the situation in Ukraine is of particular concern since it is one of the world’s top producers of the crop.
Barley is a versatile global grain and ranks fourth in both quantity produced and area of cultivation. It is much prized because it is so versatile and can thrive in regions where cereals such as maize and rice do not grow well. According to the agricultural scientist Meixue Zhou, it grows in areas up to the Arctic, along with near desert areas such as North Africa. Other areas where it can thrive include those with a Mediterranean climate, as well as those with oceanic and continental features. In the United States, barley can be grown from the northern tip of Maine down to southern Florida, Texas and much of California. Throughout human history it has played an important part in both food production – humans and animal – and brewing, due to its tolerance of aridity and salinity along with adaptability to weather.
Over on the hop front, two countries – Germany and the United States – account for 77% of world hop acreage, according to Craft Brewing Business, quoting from the BarthHass Report 2021-2022. Alpha acid content is an important factor in beer flavouring, and volumes of this prized ingredient in recent years are said to be at their “highest levels yet”. In the FT, Mr. Katasuki, noted the role hops played in flavouring beer, but claimed that analysis conducted by his company found global warming meant the quality of hops would reduce “significantly” over the next three decades.
In the meantime, the recent problems for the hop growing business are somewhat different to those forecast by Katasuki. “Production cost increases and over-production are a dangerous combination presenting the hop industry with huge challenges. The global hop industry can only counter excess production by adjusting acreage,” observes Peter Hintermeier, of BarthHaas.
Perhaps the Asahi boss gets extra ESG points for pumping out climate fear stories. Back in the real world, with shareholders to keep sweet, he seems to be somewhat more bullish about the future, telling the FT that he hopes to have the brands Asahi Super Dry and Peroni Nastro Azzurro established in the global top 10 by 2030. The company intends to reduce debt by not making further acquisitions until next year, but from 2025, “we’ll be able to become more aggressive in investment again”. Big plans are being made in the U.S., although he suggests that acquiring smaller craft brewers will not achieve the goal of having “wide reach throughout the region”.
While we can, we must all raise a glass to such positive plans for future global expansion.
Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.
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Perhaps Mr. Katsuki was imbibing a little too freely of his excellent product when he told the FT that volatile weather has already interfered with barley yields in recent years.
I’ve tasted Asahi, I wouldn’t wash my car with it.
Let them drink Blue Nun…..
Sadist!
Bucky…..
The article might have mentioned that there has been no significant increase in global temperatures over the last 200 years apart from a gentle warming trend which has seen us emerge from the Little Ice Age.
The threat to hop supplies? Utter nonsense.
I was working at the Crewe Beer Festival last week and stayed with a friend who happens to be an accomplished home brewer. He was given some hop plants earlier this year. Not expecting much he planted them. They are now climbing across his roof and fruiting profusely. He lives just outside Crewe.
So to accompany his home made wine from his home grown grapes he is now able to serve home brewed beer flavoured with home grown hops.
Global warming 😀😀😀
Whatever the problems with hop supplies are, it’s nothing to do with the weather. There was a story on a recent Beeb “Farming Today” programme about a farmer dropping out of growing them, for financial reasons. Market pricing for cereals is pretty volatile as well, and no doubt the production of malt is more expensive on account of energy price increases.
I was wondering if this could be their ‘bud light’ moment… I’d boycott their products, but he wouldn’t notice. I’ve never actually tasted the stuff and am unlikely to change that habit.
Asahi Super Dry is their ‘premier’ beer. I have tried it. In a taste test it would be indistinguishable from the hundreds of varieties of what real beer drinkers generally call ‘euro fizz.’ It is garbage. They also own Peroni, again euro fizz.
The beer drinking world would be much better for the demise of these two beverages. Complete blots on the beer drinking landscape.
You are quite likely to be a member of CAMRA, like me!
I am indeed.
How do John.
Rochdale Oldham and Bury Branch.
Member of Dobcross Band Club.
ROB Club of the year – four years running.
Regional (Greater Manchester) Club of the Year.
Finalists National Club of the Year 2022.
👍
Ah. I can post at last! I think it is well known that increased CO2 is increased crop production. More sham science and scare mongering, along with the fact that the oceans are going to turn into boiling acid baths.
Sorry- “the oceans are going to turn into boiling acid baths” is not a fact. It’s a non-fact. it was an unfortunate turn of phrase on my part.
Real beer makes its own CO2
I was thoroughly against Net Zero until today… but if it’s going to save our beer then I’m all in!
Beer is about 10 000 years old, emerging with farming of cereal crops.
I’m sure it has survived a number of climate crises during that time.
And of course it has long been a health and safety benefit (before they invented the term), with the brewing process killing off all the nasty things in the water supply.
Why does the CEO of a Japanese investment company talk about the influence of weather on agriculture? One could as well ask an Aleut for Sahara survival tips based on his lived influence with heavy rain.
I don’t understand “lived influence.”
Should have been lived experience.
Thanks.
There is no need for the ‘lived’ adjunct. Experiences are always lived.
I was using the phrase intentionally.
Oh.
“Climate Change” —–A smidgeon of the truth elevated into a planetary emergency for Political purposes. To anyone who does not know what those politics are then perhaps you should find out before your prosperity and freedoms are removed, because that is what the Politics of Sustainable Development seeks to achieve.
Climate change / Global warming
Invented in 1972 by the Club of Rome and upon which any and every ‘misdemeanour’ by mankind could be hung while hiding the real aims of population control and depopulation.
https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/the-limits-to-growth/
Now also up to their necks in the C40 cities project aka ghettoisation of the masses.
Trust me. I have read hundreds of books and visit many many websites on this issue. People like you and I can see what is going on and regularly pass comment on it here. ——–The real task though is to get the general public to realise they are being played, which isn’t easy given the vast propaganda machine around the pseudo scientific fraud of climate change that is the major tool of the Sustainable Development agenda. So I hope you also contribute to mainstream newspapers with your thoughts.
Thank you for your comments Varmint.
I gave up on mainstream newspapers at least five years before the Scamdemic. I will not go back to reading their nasty, propoganda.
Yes but that is what most people read, and only by making the same kind of comments you make here in those places gives the chance for ordinary brainwashed people the chance to hear another viewpoint. You won’t change all of their minds but if all we do is bat the same ideas and thoughts back and forward between ourselves here on the Daily Sceptic we will be getting no further forward. —–Don’t give up. ———-The Thunbergs of this world never do
Great piece Chris as always. If you track the global financial crisis (caused by the people who brought you ESG), and lockdowns, (caused by the people who drive you to drink), you identify the blips which conceal the generally stable production curve. The thing is the Sunak stall ( as it should be called) has brought forth a a torrent of tendentious nonsense. At least this is refreshing! The rantings in the I “newspaper” recently of Prof Bill McGuire, survivalist eco doomster is both funnier and more disturbing. McGuire should be talking to flies in a padded cell rather than gaslighting students. He is a professor of Climate Change and Risk, but understands neither.
I’m going to have to be the sceptic on this occasion. I really like Asahi. It does have to be served super cold though. Less keen on Peroni (a bit too hoppy for me).