Bad news for kimchi lovers: Kimchi — a South Korean dish traditionally made of fermented Napa cabbage — is now under threat as rising temperatures linked to climate change impact the growth of the napa cabbage crop, Reuters writes. The vegetable, which thrives in cooler climates, is increasingly struggling to grow due to warmer weather, unpredictable rains, and persistent pests. Farmers and kimchi producers are already witnessing reduced crop quality, with predictions that cabbage farming in South Korea could drastically shrink in the coming decades.

High temps are hurting crop numbers and quality: The area dedicated to highland cabbage farming has been more than halved in the past 20 years, dropping from 8.8k hectares to 4k hectares, the newswire writes, citing government data. When exposed to higher temperatures, the heart of the cabbage “goes bad, and the root becomes mushy,”

Kimchi Master Lee Ha-yeon told Reuters.

Global food crops are at risk: 40% of all edible crops are at risk of extinction due to rising temperatures, including wild versions of potatoes, avocados, vanilla, wild cotton, wild bean, squash, chili pepper, husk tomato, banana, and apple, according to the World Economic Forum. Wheat, rice, soy, cocoa, wine, and coffee are also on the list of potential crops that could go extinct due to temperature and climate variations, The Guardian added. Corn production is expected to plummet by 2050 due varied temperatures and rainfall, according to Action Against Hunger.

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