At a Glance

Our hazelnut supply is currently under threat by stinkbugs that invaded Turkey, a global hazelnut hub, scientists warn. The stinkbug was first spotted in Turkey in 2017. That’s where roughly 70% of global hazelnut supply grows.The decrease in hazelnut production has already caused global hazelnut prices to increase. This could spell bad news for Nutella. But perhaps the potential economic blow could have healing ripple effects environmentally.

Our hazelnut supply is currently under threat by a stinkbug that invaded Turkey, a global hazelnut hub, scientists warn.

The brown marmorated stinkbug has been rapidly spreading across the world as they have been sneaking into shipping containers and other internationally destined vessels, .

Warmer weather due to human exacerbated climate change has allowed the stinkbug, native to northeast Asia, to breed freely. The lack of natural predators has also left the growing population unchecked.

The stinkbug was first spotted in Turkey in 2017 after tearing through neighboring Georgia. Over the last two years, the stinkbug has multiplied in Turkey’s northern region bordering the Black Sea. That’s where , according to a Turkish report cited by The Guardian.

If the agriculture industry, scientists and the government cannot contain the stinkbugs' spread,, according to Professor Celal Tuncer from Turkey’s Ondokuz Mayıs University’s plant protection department.

To put that into perspective, that means we run the risk of of the world’s hazelnut supply. For context, Nutella’s parent company, The Ferrero Group, .

In plain language, we’re all reliant on Turkey’s success in fighting the bug if we want to continue enjoying Nutella.

Scientists are banding together to try to fight the stinkbug spread and save the Hazelnuts. They are considering setting loose the brown marmorated stinkbug’s natural enemy: Trissolcus japonicus, commonly known as the samurai wasp. At a conference in January, scientists .

Biological control comes with its own . There must be extensive testing and research before releasing the control species into the environment. If the control measures are wrong, the results could be catastrophic for the entire local ecosystem, as clearly delineates. The bureaucratic red tape that needs to be cut in order to receive biological control approval can take years.

The hazelnuts may not have that kind of time.

Tuncer told the Guardian that Turkey should seek ways to expedite the process by relying on existing research elsewhere, as a considerable amount of preliminary research has already been completed in Europe.

, and is the main factor that has kept the country out of the European Union all these years.

İlyas Edip Sevinç, the head of the Black Sea Region Hazelnut and Hazelnut Products Exporters’ Association, told The Guardian that taking time to thoroughly analyse the risks of samurai wasps would be ill-advised as the stinkbug was already established and posed such a threat.

Last year saw the Warm temperatures this year could issue a death sentence for the hazelnuts. In 2019, extended colder weather delayed the stinkbugs’ return from hibernation, which allowed the nuts enough time to grow their protective outer shells, the Guardian reported. This year, meteorologists have warned of above-average temperatures, meaning the nuts may not be as fortunate.

Consider what would happen if the stinkbug infestation weren’t curbed and if the world’s hazelnut population were severely damaged.

In typical supply and demand fashion, when something becomes less readily available, the price immediately goes up. According to the Washington Post, have caused the market value of hazelnuts to go up 60% thus far.

The lack of access to hazelnuts would have ripple effects, too.

Let’s look at it through the lens of Nutella. , the Guardian reported. The third ingredient in Nutella is hazelnuts. A radical decrease in hazelnuts available globally would radically change Nutella consumption.

Hazelnuts are not the primary ingredient in Nutella. The first two ingredients are sugar and the ever controversial palm oil. Given that ingredients are listed in order of quantity, as Nutella’s second ingredient, palm oil is a large component to the hazelnut spread’s recipe. In fact, reports show that 20% of a package of Nutella is made of palm oil.

The is nothing new. Palm oil is extracted from palm fruit. It is a popular and versatile ingredient used in everything from food to skin care products. As such, world demand for palm oil has skyrocketed in recent years, which has encouraged farmers to cut down rainforest and create palm oil plantations instead.

If a lack of hazelnuts would decrease the amount of Nutella consumed, and thus the amount of Nutella produced, which could spell a decrease in deforestation.

The ripple effects of this, while financially difficult, could have some long term environmental benefits.

Scientists in Turkey and beyond are continuing to evaluate different strategies to save the hazelnuts.