A Sticky Situation: Climate Change’s Impact on Canada’s Sweetest Treat

Climate change in Canada is dealing blows to the maple syrup economy. Freezing temperatures and ice storms are not only slowing production but cut so much from the supply of this delicious, golden goo. On the other hand, warming weather attracts new insects, pests and potential diseases which could harm our precious maple groves here in Quebec, Canada. How sweet does the future really look for the maple syrup industry?

Drill a tap into the trunk of a maple tree and there you have it – a delicious yellow sap will come flowing out in bucketfuls. It’s known as one of Earth’s delicacies and also as Canada’s proudest export: maple syrup. It makes its dollop of a contribution to our economy by contributing $1.1 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product, creating a vast 12,000 full-time jobs in the economy and generating a tax revenue of $235 million dollars to the Quebec government as well as the rest of Canada.

But this product requires the resource and survival of many maple trees today, and according to The Economist, Canada produces 78% of the world’s maple syrup, 92% of which comes from our very own province, Quebec. Not only that, but maple syrup production has reached new heights in the fall of 2022, yielding 79m litres of syrup – 54% more than in 2021 – a sevenfold growth of production in the past 50 years.

However, the growth of this delicious product has fallen short to the disturbing nature of climate change…

How is climate change threatening maple trees and maple syrup production?

As climate changes strike, it has rendered the output of maple syrup terribly erratic. On April 5th, 2023, a Canadian ice storm hit Quebec at a devastating rate, knocking out produce and reducing syrup flow by 40% compared to 2022 according to the data below, stunting the supply of the delicacy to its lowest in years since 2018, which was also the previously recorded deep-freezing night-time temperatures in Canada, yielding little to no sap flow.

In short, firms simply miss out on the maximum amount of maple syrup they can extract. The wicked low temperatures prevent the goo from seeping through, slowing the production process and hurting overall output. Canadian companies suffered incredulous revenue and thus output loss in 2023, harvesting only 9.4 million gallons, small-scale compared to the record-high 17.4 million gallons in 2022.

Yet, despite these shortcomings, the price of the golden goo still remains, as large wholesalers negotiate minimum price floors at which the syrup must be sold, whether that’s domestically or internationally. That way, the suppliers can guarantee a sufficient business and secure income to earn their living. That said, consumers are (undoubtedly) still willing to pay the price on this magnificent product. Demand for the product remains, and its popularity doesn’t decline, so consumers take the price as given. In short, the maple syrup industry, despite suffering losses to climate change, is still in demand and only suffers potential loss and loss of output – but not actual, recessive loss.

So, how sweet does the future look?

A warmer climate is on the rise for the season of 2024, meaning temperatures may run closer to zero degrees, helping the syrup run more smoothly and making production more efficient.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean the numbers in the maple syrup industry are necessarily going to be more predictable. Higher temperature still means the climate is changing. Pests and other living beings thrive in warmer weather, which may also mean the maple groves are exposed to various exotic insects and disease with this change, threatening its production.  

On the bright side, maple syrup is nevertheless a growing industry in the economy. For many Canadians, the golden sap has been a principal source of income, a staple at family traditions, and even a hobby for some. Production of the good has dramatically increased over the last 50 years, extracting as much as 11 million litres 50 years ago to 79 million litres in Canada now. This is due to the many technological advancements: new maple tubing systems, quality filter presses, and high performing evaporators – all of which widely elevated and expanded the mass production of maple syrup.

References

Government of Canada, N. R. (2024, March 22). Maple syrup production and climate change.https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/forests/state-canadas-forests-report/maple-syrup-production-and-climate-change-does-the-future-taste-sweet/24150

Luc Goulet, Economic. (n.d.). PPAQ. https://ppaq.ca/en/sustainable-development/economic/

M. Shahbandeh, “Maple Syrup Production Canada 2019 | Statista.” Statista, Statista, 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/370150/canadian-maple-syrup-production/.

The Americas, The Economist. (2024, April 18). The world’s insatiable appetite for Canada’s maple syrup. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/04/18/the-worlds-insatiable-appetite-for-canadas-maple-syrup