A group of scientists from the University of Leeds have suggested that we need to think proactively about solutions to the anticipated crop failures that are already occurring with climate change and will occur with increasing frequency in the future. Some areas are expected to become hotter and drier, and others experience more intense monsoon rains with increased flooding and crop damage.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 7, 2010) — Large-scale crop failures like the one that caused the recent Russian wheat crisis are likely to become more common under climate change due to an increased frequency of extreme weather events, a new study shows.
The unpredictability of the weather is one of the biggest challenges faced by farmers struggling to adapt to a changing climate. Some areas of the world are becoming hotter and drier, and more intense monsoon rains carry a risk of flooding and crop damage.
But the authors of the new study, which appears in Environmental Research Letters, argue that adaptation to climate change be possible through a combination of new crops that are more tolerant to heat and water stress, and socio-economic measures such as greater investment.
A summer of drought and wildfires has dramatically hit harvests across Russia this year, leading the government to place a ban on wheat exports. This led to a dramatic rise prices on the international commodity markets which is likely to have a knock-on effect in higher prices of consumer goods.
Crop Failures Set to Increase Under Climate Change
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