Holy Guac-a-moley: Climate changes could cause Chipotle to cut guacamole from menu

The restaurant chain that supports sustainable agriculture may not be able to sustain increased food prices.

There is no denying that I am a huge Chipotle lover. The mix of my favorite, fresh ingredients tastes divine, as spices scatter onto my tongue. My usual chicken bowl (with brown rice) is a meal meant for a god(dess). There is no such thing as too much hot sauce—but only if I have that (over portioned, but I don’t care) serving of guac. I am left feeling pleasantly full after my meal that consisted of “food with integrity,” without feeling the guilt of chowing down on processed, pesticide-full, antibiotic ridden food.

There is also no denying that global warming does exist and that is not some mythical dragon that we can easily slay—or tuck away into the caves of our imagination. And now my favorite dip may be swallowed into the belly of this beast, never to be served again.

In an annual report, Chipotle said that they might not be able to afford the skyrocketing prices of avocados and salsa because the ever-growing negative relationship between climate change and food.

Droughts in California, the state that supplies the majority of avocados, have caused the restaurant chain to consider temporarily suspending guacamole. Extreme weather change, caused by global warming, causes the price of crops to increase. The Mexican Grill uses about 18,000 tons of avocados per year, 70 alone just to make one batch.

They said in a filing last month, “Increasing weather volatility or other long-term changes in global weather patterns, including any changes associated with global climate change, could have a significant impact on the price or availability of some of our ingredients.”

Sometimes I think about how if I ever were sentenced to death, my last meal would be from Chipotle. Just typing about my favorite fast food giant now makes my mouth water and taste buds tingle. I believe the food tastes so good because it is good food (in terms of quality). It would be a crime if Chipotle could not afford their ingredients. At least there is no need to panic as of now; the statements are a precautionary tale. However, let’s not turn the page and forget the beginning of this story has been written. The future of our food depends on it.