Movie popcorn could be harder to come by this summer!

Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue / CC

The pandemic, supply chain issues, and inflation have meant we’ve had to deal with shortages for over two years now, and the latest might be seen at the movie theater where popcorn could be in short supply. The CEO of a major popcorn supplier (Preferred Popcorn) says “popcorn supply will be tight.” And it’s not just popcorn itself that might be hard to find: Those grease-proof paper bags are already in short supply. Some chains are turning to reusable metal or plastic containers instead. The problem at the foundation of this issue is convincing farmers to create enough corn rather than switching to or sticking with a different, potentially more lucrative crop like soybeans. Those supply issues are compounded by an ongoing national trucker shortage, which continues to cause shipment delays across US consumer-goods supply chains.