.png)
Have you noticed that your go-to bag of potato chips is suddenly hitting your wallet harder? You’re not imagining things. The average cost of a 16-ounce bag has jumped from around $4.50 to about $6.50 since 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation, of course, plays a role—but there’s another culprit making chips more expensive: climate change.
The Heat Is On—And Potatoes Don’t Like It
Potatoes, like many crops, are highly sensitive to temperature changes. And Pennsylvania—aka the world's largest producer of potato chips—has been feeling the heat. Rising temperatures and more frequent hot spells are bad news for potato crops. "If it's a month of high temperatures, [a potato crop will] stop growing and not come back," explains former Lehigh County Extension director and potato breeder Bob Leiby to The Allegheny Front. With fewer viable potatoes to turn into chips, supply shrinks, and prices rise.
And it’s not just Pennsylvania. Idaho and Washington, the country’s top potato producers, saw record-breaking warmth in 2024, according to The Cool Down. The result? More stressed crops, lower yields, and another hit to the supply chain.
The Bigger Picture: Climate Change and Food Prices
Potato chips aren’t the only snack getting pricier. A 2024 study published in Communications, Earth, and Environment warns that extreme weather will continue pushing up food costs worldwide. From potatoes to coffee beans to wheat, volatile climate patterns are making once-affordable staples more expensive.
So, the next time you grab a bag of chips, that extra cost isn’t just inflation—it’s a warning sign of a food system under pressure. And while we can’t control the weather, being aware of these changes is the first step in adapting to a future where even snack time is affected by climate change.
Comments