The Fall of Orange Juice

Once a staple of the American breakfast, health and economic concerns have led to a decline in orange juice consumption. Beginning in the 1950s, the Florida Citrus Commission promoted it to boost vitamin C levels and prevent colds and acidosis, a condition where the body accumulates too much acid. At its peak, three-quarters of households kept orange juice in their refrigerators.

Over the past 20 years, orange juice consumption has plummeted by nearly 50 percent. It contains as much sugar as soda, contributing to the obesity and diabetes crises. The price has surged by 67 percent in the past decade, driven by the loss of almost 92 percent of Florida’s citrus groves due to a bacterial disease spread by an invasive insect, which makes the fruit bitter and weakens the trees, and by an increase in hurricanes linked to global warming. Hurricane Milton alone destroyed an estimated 20 percent of Florida’s orange crop.