If you’re a fan of Libby’s canned pumpkin and don’t want to use another or make your own puree, stock up now. The harvest has been stopped. Parent company Nestle says heavy rains have hurt the harvest, prohibiting picking and causing those that sit in the fields to rot. It tells consumers it might be hard to find Libby’s pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling until next year’s harvest. California’s already reporting shortages.
Nearly all the canned pumpkin sold in America — up to 90% — is Libby’s. The company controls 85% of this country’s pumpkin harvest. There are store brands (some of which might come from Libby’s) and other brands, but one fine alternative that I sometimes used in New York and New England called One Pie is nowhere to be found in Maryland so far.
Nestle says pumpkin’s become more popular in recent years as people become aware of its health benefits, but Thanksgiving remains pumpkin’s prime time.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
This shortage is blamed on the weather to hide the corporate greed behind this situation. Libby’s is a brand name of ConAgra Foods, which scored 4 on a scale of 100 by CERES (nonprofit environmental watchdog group) for failing to address climate change and sustainability issues, the lowest of any food company rated.
The single variety of pumpkin grown for the Libby’s brand is at one massive factory-farm owned and operated by ConAgra. When rainfall produced muddy fields and flooding because no provision is made for water run-off in factory-farming, this interfered with moving equipment and vehicles necessary to harvest pumpkins dependent on machines.
Strangely, the harvest of organic pumpkins this season is above last year’s numbers and readily available. Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s increased their inventory this year to reflect the increased supply, prior to information about ConAgra’s problems.
Interruptions to the food supply can be expected to continue as global warming affects our climate and exposes the risks of corporate monoculture factory-farming. Support the family farmers and buy locally and organically, when possible.
“Every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to live in.”
Thanks for your comments, especially the important factual correction. The rains are well-documented, so if you have irrefutable proof of your allegations I’d love to see it. Otherwise, I refer you to the Landmark NY Times vs Sullivan.
Oh, my! Thanks for the heads-up.
I’ll manage just fine without the disappearing Eggo waffle, thank you very much, but pumpkin? Not possible. Since it’s the week before Thanksgiving I’ll have to move quickly to secure my stash!
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Me too, shore! I put an extra couple (on sale) cans on the shopping list so I don’t have a pumpkin latte shortage this winter!
Corrections to Libby Pumpkin Shortage comment (posted 12:24 PM) –
“ConAgra Foods”, mentioned 3 times, should be “Nestle”.
The CERES score for Nestle is 29 out of 100, not good, but better than ConAgra’s score of 4.