It sounds like a summer blockbuster movie, but a “Godzilla El Nino” may very well and very soon be paying a visit to our actual southern Pacific shores – NOT in a movie theater near you. And while it doesn’t have two-story teeth or SUV-sized scales, this potentially record breaking weather phenomenon may be just as terrifying as its science fiction namesake. While marketers can’t, unfortunately, deter the approaching monster, we can inform internal and external audiences about its implications. More on that below, but first a bit of background on this meteorological event.
An El Nino is an occasional weather pattern that, due to higher Pacific Ocean temps, results in rainier-than-normal fall/winter/spring seasons for the southern United States, from California to Florida. At first thought, this sounds like a very welcome relief to the drought that has plagued California and some of our industry’s largest growing regions for several years. However, this won’t be a gradual soaking. This weather forecast delivers drought-ending downpours in very concentrated doses. When the dry soil gets saturated with moisture and doesn’t have plant life to secure it (due to the drought), it slides. Mudslides are common occurrences in these conditions and can destroy everything in their paths.
The crazy, Godzilla El Nino stories that The Weather Channel thrives on don’t stop there. This phenomenon also contributes to a drier-than-normal Northwest. This could mean a worsening drought in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and others. The record-breaking, tragic wild fires that are still burning now in those states could be just the beginning, which spells very bad news for many crops that are grown in the northwestern US.
It seems that this developing system will have a widespread and lasting impact on our friends, our families and even our food. While we don’t know how significant this impact will be, it’s obvious that the coming months’ weather will also affect our industry.
The very good chance that we’ll experience an El Nino of Godzilla proportions serves as a reminder of the unique and powerful challenges the fresh produce industry faces on a daily basis. Mother Nature sounds like a nice lady, but she can throw a wrench into the business plans of a grower/farmer like no other. While our cohorts in the field prepare for these challenges, fresh produce marketers can do the same. Educating people about the realities and results of Mother Nature and her “tantrums” in advance will go a long way when those consumers notice an inconsistent supply or changing quality of their favorite fruits and vegetables. In short, we have the opportunity to own the stories being told about our crops and, thus, can be THE media resource for information about food quality and costs and the impacts the weather can and does have on our industry and the world’s food supply.
We’ll all be keeping our eyes on the skies as fall approaches. And we hope that Mother Nature tones down her tantrum and allows us all a fruitful harvest.
