Global warming threatens France's precious truffle

Truffle farmers have never had to worry about demand. It is the supply side that is worrying, with global warming an ever more present threats to their success. "You don't market the truffle, you manage its scarcity," said Jean-Charles Savignac, president of the French Truffle Growers Federation (FFT). But France's 2010-11 season's output was a meager 25 tons, a severe shortfall blamed on a lack of water, which is vital for the Tuber melanosporum, the scientific name for the black truffle cherished by gourmets. Beyond prized. Black truffles (Photo: MCT) "If we had supplied 100 times more, it would all be sold," Savignac said, recalling annual harvests of 200 to 300 tons in the 1960s, "sold without the slightest difficulty." Explanations for the ever-shrinking supply begin with the rural exodus that emptied the French countryside after World War II. The truffle's natural habitat was affected as farmland gave way to natural reforestation and other fungi competitors, according to truffle expert Pierre Sourzat. 'Truffles sector fighting back' Weather variations are no help. "The truffle, which is very sensitive to water, is something of a marker of climatic changes," Savignac said. In the summer of 2003, when a devastating heatwave gripped France, "three quarters of natural truffles vanished," Sourzat said. "In the plantations, two-thirds to three-quarters of the trees stopped producing the following years. Other mushrooms that are more adapted to drought beat out the truffle." But the truffle sector is fighting back. "Every year, we plant 300,000 to 400,000 trees in France, or around 1,000 more hectares (2,500 acres)" dedicated to the truffle, Savignac said. With such a larger park to rely on, "in the worst years we can reach an output of around 20 tons instead of the 10 tons we would get if nothing were done," he said. The sector also benefits from regional government subsidies, for example to fund experiments on improving production techniques. In the Midi-Pyrenees region, subsidies help truffle growers plant around 100 hectares each year of pubescent oaks, green oaks or hazelnut trees whose roots are impregnated with truffle spores, said Guy Delher, head of the regional federation of truffle growers. However, it takes a good decade for the plantations to begin producing in significant quantities. In Lalbenque, where the main truffle wholesaler of southwestern France is located, it took only a few minutes for buyers to snap up some 60 kilograms offer by the truffle farmers, most of them landowners for whom the black diamond is a source of extra income. Lalbenque conducts the first sale of the season, and the precious tuber went for €400-€600 per kg wholesale, or €1,000 per kg retail. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook, Twitter and Google+