What Is Happening to Florida's Oranges?
A perfect storm of disease, development, and climate change is squeezing Florida's iconic citrus industry, causing a global orange juice shortage and higher pri
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Beverages
Key points
- Florida's orange production has plummeted by over 90% in two decades due to a combination of citrus greening disease, urban sprawl, and climate change impacts like hurricanes.
- The collapse of Florida's crop has caused global orange juice supplies to tighten, sending commodity prices to record highs and increasing consumer costs by 25-30%.
- Scientists are pursuing long-term solutions like gene-editing to create disease-resistant trees, but these are years away from commercial viability.
- The crisis is forcing a shift in the food industry toward supply chain diversification and a move by Florida growers toward alternative crops and agritourism.
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