Post by mdshamiul on Feb 15, 2024 6:55:39 GMT -5
Climate change in Europe will alter the quality of hops and could make beer more expensive, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
Climate change threatens the cultivation of aromatic hops that give bitterness to beer , according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications .
European hop varieties are prized and used by brewers around the world, but rising temperatures and reduced rainfall are reducing yields and the concentration of the compounds that give beer its refreshing acidity.
The researchers observed this trend by Netherlands Email List analyzing data from five sites in the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia, which along with Poland are the main hop producers in Europe , said study co-author Miroslav Trnka.
Yields fell between 9.5 and 19.4 percent at four sites and were stable at a fifth when data from 1995-2018 was compared to data from 1971-1994.
Meanwhile, the concentration of the bitter compounds, alpha acids, decreased.
Extrapolating from the data, the researchers predicted a drop in performance of between four and 18 percent, compared to the 1989-2019 period, while the concentration of alpha acids could fall between 20 and 31 percent over the period 1989-2019. as temperatures increase and precipitation is affected.
With droughts expected to increase in central and southern Europe , " aromatic hop acreage will need to be expanded by 20 percent compared to current production acreage to compensate for a future decline in" potency and yield, says the study.
He called for "urgent adaptation measures to stabilize international market chains", such as moving crops to more suitable areas or irrigating.
Hop growers are trying to adapt, but Trnka said their options are limited since "hops need a specific combination of climate and soil" and the introduction of genetically modified plants designed to better withstand warmer temperatures and drought is banned in Europe.
Brewers can also try to modify their methods to accommodate the reduced bitterness of hops.
Climate change threatens the cultivation of aromatic hops that give bitterness to beer , according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications .
European hop varieties are prized and used by brewers around the world, but rising temperatures and reduced rainfall are reducing yields and the concentration of the compounds that give beer its refreshing acidity.
The researchers observed this trend by Netherlands Email List analyzing data from five sites in the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia, which along with Poland are the main hop producers in Europe , said study co-author Miroslav Trnka.
Yields fell between 9.5 and 19.4 percent at four sites and were stable at a fifth when data from 1995-2018 was compared to data from 1971-1994.
Meanwhile, the concentration of the bitter compounds, alpha acids, decreased.
Extrapolating from the data, the researchers predicted a drop in performance of between four and 18 percent, compared to the 1989-2019 period, while the concentration of alpha acids could fall between 20 and 31 percent over the period 1989-2019. as temperatures increase and precipitation is affected.
With droughts expected to increase in central and southern Europe , " aromatic hop acreage will need to be expanded by 20 percent compared to current production acreage to compensate for a future decline in" potency and yield, says the study.
He called for "urgent adaptation measures to stabilize international market chains", such as moving crops to more suitable areas or irrigating.
Hop growers are trying to adapt, but Trnka said their options are limited since "hops need a specific combination of climate and soil" and the introduction of genetically modified plants designed to better withstand warmer temperatures and drought is banned in Europe.
Brewers can also try to modify their methods to accommodate the reduced bitterness of hops.