Farewell margaritas - the world is facing a tequila shortage

We're drinking too much of the Mexican tipple

It's National Margarita Day in America, a special day that most of us can get behind.

Every February 22, Americans come together to "pay tribute and honor this sacred tequila, triple sec and lime drink" - according to the organisers' website., external

The only problem is that this year, there might not be enough tequila to go round.

A new report has suggested that we’re heading for a tequila drought.

So popular has the Mexican tipple become that there is now a shortage of its main ingredient, the agave plant.

Only 17.7 million blue agaves, external were planted in 2011 in Mexico - nowhere near the 42 million the industry needs annually to keep up with the current demand. 

Agave is also used to produce agave syrup, a popular sugar substitute, as well as the hip health supplement inulin, demand for which has also contributed to the problem.

To cope with the increased demand, reports suggest plants are being pulled up before they’ve fully matured. These younger plants produce far less tequila than required, leading to even more plants being pulled up early. 

All this means the price of a kilo of agave has increased six-fold since 2016, going from 3.85 pesos (15p) to 22 pesos (84p) per kilo. 

As a result, a round of margaritas will hit your wallet harder. And the problem is likely to last until at least 2021, when the results of improved planting strategies could kick in.

News of the potential tequila crisis comes in the wake of last month’s disturbing news of a looming chocolate crisis.

This was sparked by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s caution that global warming will lead to “a marked reduction in suitable cultivation area” for cocoa trees within 40 years.

But chocolate lovers need not despair just yet. The NOAA has said there are a number of options to help the global chocolate production industry to cope with climate change, such as using drought resistant seeds and employing different cultivation methods.

Back in August 2017, ice cream shops in the UK began running out of the godfather of all flavours because crop failures had increased the price of vanilla.

Earlier in 2017, a cyclone ravaged the vanilla bean-producing region of Madagascar - the world’s largest exporter of the spice.

Thanks to speculative hoarding, vanilla prices were already at several times 2015 levels at the start of last year, and the crop damage pushed the season's price to an all-time high of $600 (£463) per kg, external.

In case you’re unsure of the magnitude of this first-world crisis, vanilla is the UK’s most popular flavour, external.

Unusual weather also triggered a courgette crisis in the UK last January, which was closely followed by shortages of lettuce, broccoli, tomato and celery.

The shortages were the result of a “perfect storm” of bad weather conditions in southern Spain, the UK’s main source of fresh vegetable imports, external.

The freak weather caused price surges, with some UK supermarkets even introducing limits on the number of lettuces you could buy in a single shopping trip.

The fact is, the UK is hugely dependent on food imports, with 48% of our produce coming from abroad, external. This means that we're significantly affected by the impact of unexpected weather events (like flooding or storms) on food production.

Whether its climate change, freak weather or our unquenchable thirst that is driving these shortages, one thing’s for sure – our favourite food and drink is taking a hit.

Perhaps 2018 is the year we all learn to eat, drink and live a little more responsibly.

Originally published 15 August 2017.