From Italy to Croatia, a warming climate threatens prized white truffles

Guided by flashlight, Italian truffle hunter Tino Marolo searches Piedmont woodland with his dog Stella for prized white truffles. Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks, Alba’s International White Truffle Fair opened on October 10 and runs until December 6, despite a challenging harvest due to a hot, dry summer and poor production.

Anticipation of a continuing trend driven by hotter summers, erratic rainfall, and drought, truffle extraction is contracting and shrinking in size across Europe's truffle-producing regions, including Croatia where similar signs are observed. Truffle hunters and scientists across these regions face shrinking harvests and declining habitat suitability due to drought and higher temperatures.

Croatia’s truffle hunter and mycologist report a 30% drop in harvest this year, estimating the prized white truffle fetches up to 4,000 euros per kilogram. While some experts suggest the white truffle’s extinction isn’t imminent, researchers explore adaptive measures such as improved forest management and irrigation to help truffle habitats adapt to climate change.