In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a shamrock shortage in Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, you read that correctly and no, it is not a headline from The Onion. The severe weather Ireland has endured this winter coupled with the loss of traditional fields of clover to modern farms has led to a shortage of the traditional St. Patrick’s Day symbol. And to make matters worse, there are bogus “shamrocks” being peddled by many vendors to unknowing buyers.

So in a sense, this is a supply risk story on two levels; supply disruptions and counterfeit products.

Don’t fear for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. I’m sure they’ll carry on as planned and the craic will be mighty. Alternative suppliers have stepped in to help towns have shamrocks on hand. And unless you’re a botanist, you likely won’t know the difference between a bogus and authentic shamrock. For many revelers, the shamrock the care about the is the one in the head of their pint of Guinness (a video below the fold shows how to pull off this impressive feat).

This story does give us a timely reminder of how vulnerable supply chains can be to weather disruptions and dubious vendors. If you haven’t done so recently, it’s a good time to review your contingency plans for weather related issues. And SpendMatters has had some great advice on protecting your supply chain from counterfeiters.

Now, on to pouring the perfect shamrock topped pint…

Justin Fogarty is Managing Editor of Supply Excellence. For any questions or feedback on the blog or its contributors, Justin can be reached at jfogarty[at]ariba.com.