By Jamie Martin
A new study by Stanford reveals the damaging effects of climate change on crop yields, particularly for key grains like wheat, barley, and maize.
The analysis highlights how warming and increased air dryness have affected nearly all major agricultural regions, with some areas now experiencing hotter growing seasons than at any point in the last 50 years.
"There have been a lot of news stories about crop failures around the world, and often I get asked whether the impacts are happening faster than we expected," said study lead author David Lobell, the Gloria and Richard Kushel Director of Stanford's Center on Food Security and the Environment (FSE). "That motivated a closer look at what's been happening in farms around the world."
The study estimates that global yields for barley, maize, and wheat have fallen by 4% to 13% due to climate change, with losses surpassing the benefits of higher carbon dioxide levels, which typically improve plant growth.
Stefania Di Tommaso, co-author of the study, stated, “In many ways, the changes farmers are experiencing are completely in line with what climate models predicted, so the overall impact should not be a surprise.”
However, climate models did not predict the significant increase in drying in temperate zones like Europe and China. These regions have seen more dryness than expected, while U.S. farms, especially in the Midwest, experienced less warming and drying than predicted.
The study calls for better climate models and more effective adaptation strategies, as existing models did not capture the drying trends threatening agricultural practices worldwide.
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Categories: National