In addition to numerous foodstuffs such as coffee and cocoa, extreme weather conditions are also affecting popular vegetable varieties. Accordingly, there could soon be a shortage of cauliflower and broccoli, as reported by Euronews. The devastating floods in Valencia, among other things, have contributed to this. Since then, numerous important growing areas have been destroyed, leading to a vegetable shortage throughout Europe.

Between April and June – during the so-called hunger gap, when few of the domestically grown plants are ripe for consumption anyway – the bottleneck is likely to be felt. The persistently warm winters and increasing pest infestation are further complicating cultivation.

Cauliflower – a traditional vegetable

Cauliflower is one of the few vegetables that is eaten while still in flower, as can be read in a report in the magazine Schweizer Bauer. It originally comes from Asia Minor and has been cultivated in Europe since the 16th century. Today, the main growing areas in Europe are Poland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Switzerland, the area under cultivation is around 580 hectares, of which 100 hectares are organically farmed, as the report goes on to say. Nevertheless, around 10,000 tonnes of cauliflower have to be imported annually to meet demand.

As a heavy feeder, cauliflower requires a lot of nutrients and prefers humus-rich soils and a warm, sunny location. However, it does not tolerate intense sunlight well, which is why it must be harvested before the bracts open. Otherwise, it must be covered with a film.

And it is precisely this sensitivity to sunlight that modern breeding methods address: companies like Syngenta have developed a new generation of cauliflowers whose flower heads remain white even in strong UV light. This innovation saves farmers work, time and money, as the laborious covering process is no longer necessary. At the same time, it prevents cauliflowers that are not visually perfect from being disposed of, even though they would be perfectly edible.

Innovations in plant breeding are increasingly being tailored to consumer needs. One example of this is new onion varieties that do not cause tears when cut. Such developments not only improve shelf life and yields, but also increase the benefits for consumers.

The impending shortage of broccoli and cauliflower shows how sensitively the food supply reacts to extreme weather. There is still no cure for flooding. However, thanks to technological advances in plant breeding, producers now have another option at their disposal to combat increased solar radiation. Without innovative agricultural solutions such as precision breeding, the future will not be possible.