A team of researchers revealed that a popular drink around the world (mostly consumed in the morning) is at risk of extinction due to diseases and bad weather that destroy crops.
The study revealed that orange trees in the United States and Brazil suffered from citrus greening disease caused by sap-sucking insects, which kill the trees after making the existing fruit bitter.
Florida was hit by hurricanes that destroyed a large portion of American supplies. Florida and Brazil together account for more than 85% of the world's orange juice supply, and make up a large portion of the economies.
This year's crop is down 24% compared to 2023, causing orange juice supply prices to rise by 20%.
Citrus chlorosis, also known as Huanglongping, is a bacterial infection that has been identified as one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world, because there is no cure for it.
The infection causes most trees to produce ill-coloured, unbalanced fruit with a bitter taste, leading to their death within a few years.
The disease can spread from one citrus plant nursery to another.
A small insect called the Asian citrus psyllid is responsible for the losses, as it was first found in Palm Beach County, Florida, in 1998.
Within two years, the insect had spread to 31 counties, making its way through Texas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Hawaii and several other states.
The Florida Department of Citrus reports that citrus production in the state could decline by more than 80% by 2026.
Experts revealed that supply chains may follow alternative methods to overcome the orange juice shortage, which may cause major challenges in the long term.
“The global orange juice industry is in crisis,” François Sonneville, a senior beverage analyst at Rabobank, told The Guardian. “The Florida industry has almost disappeared, and Brazilian orchards are suffering from disease, high costs and unfavorable growing conditions, leaving global orange juice supplies at their lowest levels since "Decades."
It must be revived!
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