America’s favorite vegetable under major threat of looming California droughts: new research

California dominates America’s broccoli supply — bad news for the rest of the country.

Broccoli is the most consumed vegetable in the country, and the sunshine state grows over 90% of America’s fresh broccoli.

A recent study published in Agribusiness by researchers from Cornell University warns that the country’s supply of broccoli is vulnerable to the risk of drought in California.

In the study, the researchers compiled 20 years of shipping records and federal drought data to build a model that analyzed 14 potential sources of broccoli, including California, Arizona, Mexico, Canada, and 10 eastern states.

Their results showed that a severe drought in California could cause broccoli shipments to fall by 20%, while a moderate drought could cause a 9% drop in shipments.

According to their research, water droughts in California have reduced broccoli crop yields and the amount of planted acreage since 2000.

“California remains central to the nation’s fresh fruit and vegetable supply, including broccoli,” Cornell researcher Bingyan Dai told Fox News Digital.

“At the same time, drought events in California have become more frequent in recent years, affecting fresh broccoli production and reliable access for American consumers.”

Researchers suggest that growing more broccoli on the county’s east coast could reduce the risk of a breakdown in broccoli supply.

The study revealed that expanding broccoli production to eastern states could reduce supply chain costs by around $10 million under a severe drought scenario.

Christopher Valadez, president and CEO of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, cautioned against doom and gloom, telling Fox News that California’s growing regions have continued to supply the country with broccoli during several drought periods.

“Sensible diversification has a role in risk management,” Valadez told the outlet, emphasizing California’s “proven adaptive capacity and quality advantages.”

Still, researchers say expansion to the east could strengthen the supply chain.

“Our study suggests that growing broccoli on the East Coast could help make the country’s supply more resilient without adding substantial supply chain costs,” Dai told Fox News.

“While California will continue being a critical broccoli production region, a more diversified supply chain that includes the East Coast could create a more resilient supply chain.” 

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