Strawberries may seem like the most dependable fruit in your shopping basket, but behind the scenes is large and fragile global system. In this episode, we explore the environmental, economic, and structural challenges facing strawberry growers around the world.

From unseasonal rainstorms in Australia to polar freezes in the Pacific Northwest, fungal outbreaks in Arkansas, and water wars in Spain, we uncover how climate change, labour shortages, and shifting regulations are reshaping the global strawberry market. We also discuss the paradox of localized shortages and regional oversupply—why a glut in California doesn't mean cheaper berries in Europe.

• How floods in Queensland washed away winter strawberries and exposed disease risks
• Why a polar freeze in Washington and Oregon destroyed crown tissue in June-bearing varieties
• The impact of early blooming and fungal disease in Arkansas, followed by fall drought stress
• How pests and rapid harvesting in Maine compressed the season and reduced shelf life
• The water crisis in Spain's Huelva region and the tension between farming and environmental protection
• Germany’s labor cost crunch and its increasing reliance on imports
• How Brexit is reshaping Scotland’s strawberry industry, with rising wages and fewer workers
• The structural divide between global oversupply (e.g. California) and regional vulnerabilities
• Why strawberries are not globally fungible like wheat or oil—and what that means for pricing

Key Stats & Takeaways

• 🌧️ 216,000 punnets lost in one storm in Queensland—~$1M AUD in value
• ❄️ Arctic blast in Yakima Valley caused up to 30% losses
• 🌡️ Arkansas growers hit by Neopestolithiopsis fungus and transplant stress
• 🐛 Maine saw early SWD pest invasions and anthracnose outbreaks
• 🚰 Spain’s Donana aquifer crisis threatens 326,000 tons of production
• 📉 Germany’s 2024 crop projected at 70,000 tons—lowest since 1995
• 🇬🇧 Scotland lost 10% of strawberry acreage post-Brexit
• 🇺🇸 California produces ~90% of US strawberries, ~11% of global output