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.
Comments