South Korea's famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. - REUTERS
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00:00The spicy, tangy dish called kimchi, a foundation of Korean food culture, is succumbing to climate
00:08change in its homeland. South Korean scientists, farmers and manufacturers say they see a decline
00:15in the quality and quantity of its main ingredient, the napa cabbage. Kim Seagap has grown kimchi
00:23cabbage for more than half a century and has seen dramatic changes that he blames at least
00:29in part on climate change.
00:31I can feel that a climate crisis is approaching. There are many signs, but to give a representative
00:38example, take Maebongsan Mountain in Taebaek County, which can be considered the origin
00:43of highland cabbage in our country. However, the cultivation area there has fallen by half
00:48because of soil diseases and viruses that thrive in high temperatures.
00:53Napa cabbage thrives in cool climates, ideally between 64 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. But in
00:59Gangwon Province, where nearly all of it is grown in the country, summer temperatures
01:04are now closer to an average of 77 degrees, with peaks of 86. Government data shows high
01:11temperatures and erratic weather have eaten away at napa cabbage farming areas by more
01:17than half since the 2000s. And the Rural Development Administration's climate change scenarios
01:23project this area will shrink to only around 100 acres in 25 years, with none in the highlands
01:30by 2090.
01:35Production costs have definitely increased due to climate-related difficulties. Since
01:39crops are often affected by various diseases and pests, we have to continuously apply substances
01:44that are somewhat effective against them. We need to keep spraying them.
01:49Researchers are taking action to push back on the impact, by developing heat- and disease-resistant
01:55varieties of napa cabbage. Plum pathologist Lee Young-gyu is at the National Institute
02:01of Crop Science.
02:04We are also looking into watering methods that could help lower temperatures and, as
02:08I mentioned earlier, expanding the use of biological control methods to combat the newly
02:13emerging half-wilt disease. Additionally, since highland areas are typically sloped,
02:18we are researching cultivation techniques that allow for stable farming on slopes. Given
02:23the rising temperatures, we are also working on developing cabbage varieties that can grow
02:28well even in higher temperatures.
02:31It all adds to the challenges for South Korea's homegrown kimchi industry, which also faces
02:36competition from lower-priced imports from China, mostly used in restaurants. The kimchi
02:42that South Korea brings in from overseas rose from January to July this year, hitting some
02:4798 million dollars, up around 7 percent from last year, and surpassing the 2022 record.