Pirate's Cove

Now they’re trying to hit people in the comfort foods

The snackdown: We need to talk about chips

It’s a cruel irony: the very snacks we reach for in uncertain times could soon be victims of uncertainty themselves. Snack time might not feel like a climate casualty. But it’s heading that way.

And this isn’t a distant worry. Scientists predict global potato yields could plummet by up to 16% by 2035 if temperatures keep rising. That has far-reaching consequences – not just for profits, but for farms, jobs and the supply chains behind the world’s most popular snack. From Lay’s in New York to Calbee in Tokyo, no brand is insulated.

Japan’s biggest snack producer has issued a red alert. Climate change is threatening the very foundation of its business, warned Calbee CEO Makoto Ehara. “Climate change is now a direct threat to our ability to produce snacks,” he told CNBC recently. A dramatic warning, yes, but one that should rattle the entire industry.

The threat isn’t abstract. It’s about potatoes – one of the world’s most essential crops – now faltering under extreme heat, erratic rainfall and disrupted supply chains. If Calbee’s struggling to keep chips on shelves, other snack brands aren’t far behind.

In reality, 2024 had record potato crops all over the globe.

The risks are far from hypothetical. Calbee has lived through a crisis like this before. Back in 2017, after a series of record-breaking typhoons devastated the Hokkaido potato harvest, the company was forced to temporarily suspend the sale of around a dozen chip varieties.

Disasters happen. Was it global warming that caused the big Irish potato famine? How about the lack of wheat in France, leading to the French Revolution? Anyhow, lots more cult yapping through the middle of the piece, ending with

As climate change hits potato production, consumers may soon see the fallout on their shelves. Here’s what might be coming:

Higher prices: As harvests shrink and imported spuds get pricier, chip prices could start creeping up, especially in countries that rely on foreign supply.

More shortages: Typhoons, droughts and freak weather events could lead to empty shelves – again.

New ingredients: To ease pressure on potatoes, expect to see more chips made from corn, lentils or blended bases.

Shifted sourcing: Brands may start highlighting ‘locally grown’ or ‘climate-resilient’ ingredients as a badge of honor.

More transparency: As supply chains come under strain, expect companies to talk more openly about the climate risks they’re facing and how they’re responding.

Here’s the question: when this doesn’t happen who gets fired?