Climate change impacts the planet and the production styles we know in various ways.
World food crops are an example given that they are already severely affected by the increase in global temperatures. Last year, they exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels for the first time.
In this sense, scientists predicted how 30 food crops will be affected by this crisis under different warming scenarios ranging from 1.5 to 4 degrees.
## Climate Change and Crops: The Consequences
In an article on the SCIDEV site, produced by Claudia Caruana, they refer to a study published in Nature Food on the topic.
It shows how changes in temperature, precipitation, and aridity will significantly reduce the availability of suitable land for cultivating these foods.
Countries in low latitudes, including many in the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, will be the most affected, according to researchers at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland.
According to the data, up to a third of agricultural production in these countries would be at risk if climatic conditions became unfavorable with a temperature increase.
This figure could increase to half with a 3-degree warming.
“The results show that crop production in the equatorial region is the most vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, adding more pressure to the already insufficient food supply in some parts of the region,” explained Sara Heikonen, a doctoral researcher who led the study with the university’s Water and Development Research Group.
Researchers found that climate change, along with other socio-economic factors, will also lead to a decrease in crop diversity in low latitude regions.
“The loss of diversity means that the variety of food crops available for cultivation could decrease significantly in certain areas,” Heikonen noted.
“This would reduce food security and make it difficult to obtain adequate calories and proteins,” she emphasized.
In this sense, rice, corn, wheat, potatoes, and soybeans, key staple crops (representing more than two-thirds of global energy intake), will be severely affected.
## Also in Tropical Crops
However, the study also is the first to cover some less researched crops, such as cowpea and cassava.
“Root crops like yam, which are key to food security in low-income regions. As well as cereals and legumes, are particularly vulnerable,” added Heikonen.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region that would be most affected, almost three-quarters of current production is at risk if global warming exceeds three degrees Celsius.
## Climate Action Plans
Srijirta Dasgupta, a climate change specialist at the agricultural research organization CABI (the parent organization of SciDev.Net), pointed out that the research comes at a crucial moment.
Currently, scientific evidence confirms that warming is faster each year than the previous one, and several countries are updating their Nationally Determined Contributions detailing their commitments to address the issue.
“Adaptation and mitigation actions are identified as priorities in almost all NDCs of Asian countries,” he stated.
The regions highlighted in the study as the most vulnerable largely depend on agriculture. “These are also regions with deep poverty pockets, and climate change threats will catalyze hunger, malnutrition, and resource conflicts,” he added.
Dasgupta believes that countries need to make their climate actions “quantifiable” through specific investment plans in climate and agriculture.
“Increasing specific investments in climate-resilient crops, advanced irrigation techniques, and soil management strategies are fundamental climate actions for the agricultural sector,” he said.
“Additionally, it is equally important that funding is channeled to the most in need communities.”
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