FOOD

About 98 percent of limes consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico. But our neighbors to the south are feeling seriously squeezed by a shortage of the beloved citrus fruit. (NPR)

Use our resources to better understand international supply chains.

Discussion Ideas

• Most limes are eaten as a flavoring on dishes, such as the carne asada mentioned in the NPR article. (Mmmm, carne asada.) However, limes are also important parts of the supply chains of finished goods. Read through our activity “A Supply Chain” for an example of a food supply chain. What are some supply chains that may be impacted by the lime shortage?
  • frozen lime juices
  • lime- or citrus-flavored soda
  • guacamole
  • perfume and scented oils, including those used in products such as candles, soaps, and cleaners

• Read our short section on “Fruits and Vegetables” in our encyclopedic entry on food. (It’s at the bottom of page 3.) Limes and other citrus fruits are usually classified as subtropical fruits, growing in regions that stay mostly warm and dry all year. The NPR article says almost all limes in the U.S. come from Mexico, which is experiencing a lime shortage. Look at our MapMaker Interactive and identify subtropical regions. What other nations do you think are leading lime producers?
  • Look for the yellows and oranges! Those are mild equatorial climates.
  • The world’s leading lime exporters are Turkey, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. They all enjoy similar, subtropical climates.

• Limes are a subtropical fruit, which flourish in generally warm, dry regions. Mexico’s lime crop was devastated by a combination of heavy rains and a bacterium that threatens lime trees. What are some weather-related threats to temperate fruits? To tropical fruits? Take a look at the “Fruits and Vegetables” section in our encyclopedic entry on food for some guidance.
  • Temperate fruits grow best where there is a well-defined cold season, as in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Temperate fruits include apples, berries, grapes, pears, plums, and peaches.
    • Threats to temperate fruits might include an unusual heat spell or an infestation of heat-tolerant insects such as fruit flies. Like limes, temperate fruits can also be impacted by heavy rains and frosts.
  • Tropical fruits require a hot climate to grow. Tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and papayas grow in hot, humid areas like the Philippines.
    • Threats to tropical fruits might include an unusual cold spell, or devastation caused by the storms that wrack some tropical areas.
  • And, of course, there are human-related threats to the fruit supply chain—like drug cartels.