The future of vanilla ice cream is at stake because of climate change
Increasing climate extremes are changing the habitats of wild vanilla species — primarily found in the tropical regions of Central America — and their mainly animal pollinators, the researchers say. This, in turn, is putting global production of vanilla at risk.
In some regions, the plants may find more favourable conditions, but the insects that pollinate them may no longer find suitable habitats, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science in July.
These changes could lead to a reduced overlap between the habitats of pollinators and plants, resulting in less pollination.
"Conserving the natural populations of wild vanilla species, and the huge genetic diversity they hold, is crucial to ensure the future of vanilla, a key tropical crop for the global food industry," says KU Leuven's Professor Bart Muys, a senior author of the study.
The researchers used modelling to analyse the distribution areas of 11 neotropical vanilla species and seven observed bee species under two climate scenarios up to 2050: one moderate scenario with climate protection measures, and another with more conflicts and less global climate protection.
While some species could expand their potential habitats due to global warming, others face a decline of more than half. For all bee genera, the models predict a reduction in suitable habitats, with particularly severe consequences under the less climate-protective scenario.
Vanilla inodora, for example, grows only in cloud forests and low-lying regions with heavy rainfall, while other species thrive only in hot regions with long dry periods and could therefore benefit.
A decoupling of plants from their pollinators could threaten the survival of wild vanilla species, lead author Charlotte Watteyn warns.
A particularly problematic factor is that the species are often dependent on only a few or even individual pollinators, leaving little scope for alternative relationships. For species reliant on a single bee genus, the overlap of habitats could shrink by as much as 60 to 90%.
Wild vanilla plants are also important for agriculture. Commercially used vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) has low genetic diversity, making it particularly vulnerable to diseases, drought and heat — factors that already make it a victim of global warming.
For vanilla ice cream, pudding and other desserts, global warming could have a similar impact as it already does on many other foods. Poor harvests of coffee, chocolate and olive oil, for example, have repeatedly caused shortages and higher prices.
The authors noted a limitation of their study: comprehensive information on pollination mechanisms was not available for all the species examined.
The team called for increased international collaboration and further research, aiming to enhance the resilience of vanilla cultivation and thus secure the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers in tropical regions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
Start your week smart: NASA's future, Starvation in Gaza, Stabbing incident, Extreme heat risk, Swimming showdown
If you've been suffering through the high temperatures that have scorched much of the country this summer, you know the toll it can take on your body, leaving you dizzy, dehydrated and, in some severe cases, at risk of death. But there's another lesser-known impact of extreme heat — and it might surprise you. Here's what else you need to know to start your week smart. 🔦 Few US government agencies have navigated as much turmoil in recent months as NASA. With the impending loss of thousands of jobs looming, this week saw the release of a scathing letter from nearly 300 current and former NASA employees and the abrupt resignation of the director of the Goddard Space Flight Center. Scientists and agency workers criticized budget cuts, grant cancellations and a 'culture of organizational silence.' They also raised concerns about suggested changes to a system of safety checks and balances. President Donald Trump appointed US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator to replace Janet Petro, a longtime agency employee. That came after the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA was rescinded. Some scientists are criticizing the agency as the Trump administration tries to dismantle the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, one of the country's top climate labs. Employees are working remotely after their New York City office was shut down. Back in March, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after gaining international attention as their short trip to space stretched into a saga lasting more than nine months. It's an example of how quickly things can go sideways. Meanwhile, leaks have plagued the International Space Station. 📸 In photos: Astronaut Don Pettit captures unique views of the cosmos. Take a look. Blue Origin took a star-studded all-female crew — including singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King — to the 'edge of space' and back. The mission had its critics, but is this the future of spaceflight? Israel says it will open aid corridors as fury grows over starvation in Gaza A 'random' stabbing at a Michigan Walmart left 11 injured, officials say. Here's what we know so far Alabama toddler dies in hot car while in state custody GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Looking for a way to beat the summer heat? July 28 is National Water Park Day, so grab your swimsuits and hit the water slide or tube down a lazy river! The International Monetary Fund will release its July 2025 World Economic Outlook Update. This publication provides analyses and projections of the global economy. In an update in April, the IMF said forecasts for global growth had been revised markedly down compared with its January update, reflecting effective tariff rates at levels not seen in a century. The Federal Reserve is set to conclude its fifth interest rate meeting since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, with policymakers expected to hold rates steady once again. The decision is likely to draw sharp criticism from Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the bank's refusal to cut rates. Tension between the two was evident last week during a tour of the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation, a project the Trump administration has used to intensify pressure on Powell. 📹 Watch this awkward exchange between Powell and the president. The National Transportation Safety Board will begin a three-day public hearing to investigate the January 29 mid-air collision between a regional jet and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, DC, that killed 67 people. President Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs are set to go into effect on August 1 after a 90-day delay, impacting multiple countries, including Mexico, Canada and the European Union. If Trump's proposed duties of 30% do kick in, Americans could wind up paying more for everything from produce to medical equipment, electronics and alcohol. It's also the day we get the monthly jobs report for July. In this episode of the 'One Thing' podcast, CNN's David Rind speaks to science journalist Jane C. Hu about why Republicans are increasingly open to the purported healing properties of psychedelics. Listen here. Prev Next 📸 Check out more images curated by the CNN Photo team. The Tour de France, which began on July 5, wraps up today in Paris. After more than 2,000 miles of racing, riders will make their way down the Champs-Élysées to the finish line. (TK look for a London write) The World Aquatics Championships kick off today in Singapore, and all eyes will be on the high-stakes showdown between swimming legend Katie Ledecky and Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh. Ledecky, 28, boasts nine Olympic golds and 21 world titles, while 18-year-old McIntosh arrives with four Olympic medals and three world records set just last month. 📹 Hear how Ledecky is preparing to face her fiercest challenger yet. And the World Dog Surfing Championships are Saturday at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California. What began as the short-lived TV comedy series 'Police Squad!' in the early 1980s got a second life as 'The Naked Gun' series of movies starring Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy. Now, more than 30 years after 1994's 'The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult,' a reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson arrives on the big screen this Friday. Will it be riddled with moronic jokes, toilet humor and sight gags, just like its predecessors? Let's hope so! 🧠 Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 5.4% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare? Heavy metal icon and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne passed away last week at the age of 76. Rest in peace, Prince of Darkness. (Click here to view) Today's edition of 5 Things Sunday was edited and produced by CNN's Tricia Escobedo.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Motion cameras were set up in the jungles of Guatemala — and they captured something incredible
During a nasty summer heat wave — see: much of the US right now — water is a reliable source of relief. Where there are no rivers or lakes to swim in, we still might have swimming pools, sprinklers, and popsicles to keep ourselves cool. Wild animals don't have such luxuries. Bouts of extreme heat and drought — which are becoming more common and less predictable as global temperatures rise — can cause natural watering holes in many different types of ecosystems to dry up. And animals don't have a tap they can simply turn on. That leaves them with few places to hydrate and cool off, putting their lives, often already imperiled, at risk. But in some parts of the world, humans are offering help. In the jungles of northern Guatemala, which have been abnormally hot in recent years, environmental groups placed several large tubs of water in nature reserves. They refill them regularly, providing a reliable source of fresh water that animals can drink from or splash in, even when there's no rain. And luckily for us, they also put motion-activated cameras nearby to see which animals were using them. You might call them thirst traps. Courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society 'The diversity of species using the water sources was amazing,' said Gabriela Ponce, head of Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala, a group involved in the project with several others, including the local Guatemala NGO Foundation for Ecodevelopment and Conservation. The footage reveals a diverse cast of jungle characters, including those that are rarely seen, like jaguars and tapirs — large herbivores with distinct trunk-like noses. It also exposed some interesting animal behaviors, Ponce said. Researchers noticed that spider monkeys seemed to prefer drinking from raised water containers — perhaps so that they can quickly escape if predators approach, Ponce said. Wild animals are often more sensitive to environmental impacts than we are. They don't have technologies like air conditioning and water purification to survive all the ways in which we're altering the planet, from heating it up to filling it with pollution. And when climate disasters hit, the impacts are often devastating to wild animals, too. But there are simple ways to help wildlife cope with the world we've created for them, like putting out (clean) hummingbird feeders and bird baths or extinguishing invasive mosquitos that are spreading avian malaria. 'Artificial watering holes are not a permanent solution,' Rony García-Anleu, who leads biological research at Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala, said in a press release. 'But they are a vital tool in helping wildlife adapt to increasingly unpredictable environmental conditions.' Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
10 hours ago
- CNN
Start your week smart: NASA's future, Starvation in Gaza, Stabbing incident, Extreme heat risk, Swimming showdown
If you've been suffering through the high temperatures that have scorched much of the country this summer, you know the toll it can take on your body, leaving you dizzy, dehydrated and, in some severe cases, at risk of death. But there's another lesser-known impact of extreme heat — and it might surprise you. Here's what else you need to know to start your week smart. 🔦 Few US government agencies have navigated as much turmoil in recent months as NASA. With the impending loss of thousands of jobs looming, this week saw the release of a scathing letter from nearly 300 current and former NASA employees and the abrupt resignation of the director of the Goddard Space Flight Center. Scientists and agency workers criticized budget cuts, grant cancellations and a 'culture of organizational silence.' They also raised concerns about suggested changes to a system of safety checks and balances. President Donald Trump appointed US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator to replace Janet Petro, a longtime agency employee. That came after the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA was rescinded. Some scientists are criticizing the agency as the Trump administration tries to dismantle the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, one of the country's top climate labs. Employees are working remotely after their New York City office was shut down. Back in March, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after gaining international attention as their short trip to space stretched into a saga lasting more than nine months. It's an example of how quickly things can go sideways. Meanwhile, leaks have plagued the International Space Station. 📸 In photos: Astronaut Don Pettit captures unique views of the cosmos. Take a look. Blue Origin took a star-studded all-female crew — including singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King — to the 'edge of space' and back. The mission had its critics, but is this the future of spaceflight? Israel says it will open aid corridors as fury grows over starvation in Gaza A 'random' stabbing at a Michigan Walmart left 11 injured, officials say. Here's what we know so far Alabama toddler dies in hot car while in state custody GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Looking for a way to beat the summer heat? July 28 is National Water Park Day, so grab your swimsuits and hit the water slide or tube down a lazy river! The International Monetary Fund will release its July 2025 World Economic Outlook Update. This publication provides analyses and projections of the global economy. In an update in April, the IMF said forecasts for global growth had been revised markedly down compared with its January update, reflecting effective tariff rates at levels not seen in a century. The Federal Reserve is set to conclude its fifth interest rate meeting since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, with policymakers expected to hold rates steady once again. The decision is likely to draw sharp criticism from Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the bank's refusal to cut rates. Tension between the two was evident last week during a tour of the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation, a project the Trump administration has used to intensify pressure on Powell. 📹 Watch this awkward exchange between Powell and the president. The National Transportation Safety Board will begin a three-day public hearing to investigate the January 29 mid-air collision between a regional jet and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, DC, that killed 67 people. President Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs are set to go into effect on August 1 after a 90-day delay, impacting multiple countries, including Mexico, Canada and the European Union. If Trump's proposed duties of 30% do kick in, Americans could wind up paying more for everything from produce to medical equipment, electronics and alcohol. It's also the day we get the monthly jobs report for July. In this episode of the 'One Thing' podcast, CNN's David Rind speaks to science journalist Jane C. Hu about why Republicans are increasingly open to the purported healing properties of psychedelics. Listen here. Prev Next 📸 Check out more images curated by the CNN Photo team. The Tour de France, which began on July 5, wraps up today in Paris. After more than 2,000 miles of racing, riders will make their way down the Champs-Élysées to the finish line. (TK look for a London write) The World Aquatics Championships kick off today in Singapore, and all eyes will be on the high-stakes showdown between swimming legend Katie Ledecky and Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh. Ledecky, 28, boasts nine Olympic golds and 21 world titles, while 18-year-old McIntosh arrives with four Olympic medals and three world records set just last month. 📹 Hear how Ledecky is preparing to face her fiercest challenger yet. And the World Dog Surfing Championships are Saturday at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California. What began as the short-lived TV comedy series 'Police Squad!' in the early 1980s got a second life as 'The Naked Gun' series of movies starring Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy. Now, more than 30 years after 1994's 'The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult,' a reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson arrives on the big screen this Friday. Will it be riddled with moronic jokes, toilet humor and sight gags, just like its predecessors? Let's hope so! 🧠 Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 5.4% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare? Heavy metal icon and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne passed away last week at the age of 76. Rest in peace, Prince of Darkness. (Click here to view) Today's edition of 5 Things Sunday was edited and produced by CNN's Tricia Escobedo.
