• Climate change is threatening South Korea's kimchi tradition, affecting the quality and quantity of napa cabbage.
• The area of highland cabbage farmed has decreased significantly over the last two decades due to rising temperatures, heavy rains, and pests.
• The government is using climate-controlled storage and scientists are developing resilient crop varieties to mitigate the impact.
• The situation underscores the need for sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security and preserve cultural heritage.

Climate change, a global concern, is now threatening South Korea's beloved dish, kimchi. The napa cabbage, a key ingredient in the ubiquitous dish, is suffering in both quality and quantity due to rising temperatures. The cabbage, which thrives in cooler climates, is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). However, the warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops.

Plant pathologist and virologist Lee Young-gyu expressed his concerns, We hope these predictions don't come to pass. Cabbage likes to grow in a cool climate and adapts to a very narrow band of temperatures. The optimal temperatures are between 18 and 21 Celsius. The impact of these changes is already being felt in the fields and kitchens, both commercial and domestic, as farmers and kimchi makers are grappling with the change.

Kimchi, a spicy, fermented dish, is made from other vegetables such as radish, cucumber, and green onion, but the most popular dish remains cabbage-based. Lee Ha-yeon, who holds the designation of Kimchi Master from the Agriculture Ministry, described the effect of higher temperatures on the vegetable, stating that the heart of the cabbage goes bad, and the root becomes mushy. She further warned, If this continues, then in the summer time we might have to give up cabbage kimchi.

The Impact on Farming and the Kimchi Industry

Data from the government statistics agency shows a significant decrease in the area of highland cabbage farmed over the last two decades. The area of highland cabbage farmed last year was less than half of what it was 20 years ago: 3,995 hectares compared to 8,796 hectares. According to the Rural Development Administration, a state farming think tank, climate change scenarios project the farmed area to shrink dramatically in the next 25 years to just 44 hectares, with no cabbage grown in the highlands by 2090.

The reasons for the crop shrinkage are multifaceted. Higher temperatures, unpredictable heavy rains, and pests that become more difficult to control in the warmer and longer summers are all contributing factors. A fungal infection that wilts the plant has also been particularly troublesome for farmers because it only becomes apparent very close to harvest.

The challenges posed by climate change add to the existing issues facing South Korea's kimchi industry, which is already battling lower-priced imports from China, which are mostly served in restaurants. Customs data released on Monday showed kimchi imports through the end of July was up 6.9% at $98.5 million this year, almost all of it from China and the highest ever for the period.

Efforts to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change

In response to these challenges, the government has relied on massive climate-controlled storage to prevent price spikes and shortages. Scientists are also racing to develop crop varieties that can grow in warmer climates and that are more resilient to large fluctuations in rainfall and infections. However, farmers like Kim Si-gap, 71, who has worked in the cabbage fields of the eastern region of Gangneung all his life, fear these varieties will be more expensive to grow in addition to not tasting quite right. He expressed his shock and sadness at the reports that there will come a time in Korea when they can no longer grow cabbage, stating, Kimchi is something we cannot not have on the table. What are we going to do if this happens?

This situation is not unique to South Korea. Climate change has been affecting agriculture globally. For instance, in the United States, agriculture is a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 10% of the U.S. total. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers are also directly affected by rising temperatures, more frequent and intense heat waves, drought, and other extreme weather that result in part from increased GHG emissions.