Next Year, We Start to Run Out of Bacon
This year’s US drought is rippling through globalized agriculture. Next on the chopping block? Bacon
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Just one of the many important uses for bacon that enthusiasts will need to go without. Photo: Methodshop.com
A forthcoming disaster spurred by this year’s drought, which afflicted agricultural production across the United States, is that next year will likely see a severe shortage of bacon, along with any other product derived from pigs, says CTVNews.
“According to the National Pig Association in Britain, pig farmers in the U.K., who rely on corn and soy exports from the U.S. to feed their animals, are drastically culling their herds in the wake of the drought that destroyed thousands of feed crops across the U.S. corn belt.”
They say that the drought is driving down the availability of feed for the pigs and hence driving up prices. And, at those prices, the farmers just can’t keep their budgets in balance.
“The industry group is warning that the pattern of culling herds will almost certainly spread around the world, making a world shortage of pork and bacon next year “unavoidable,” they say.”
As global food prices climb, so too does the probability of riots. But no one said anything about the shortage being bacon. Soon, the world may need to find another foodstuff to obsess over.
More from Smithsonian.com:
Why Are We So Crazy for Bacon?
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