Climate change is well-known to have caused a great negative impact on the environment which in return has jeopardized the productivity and security of our food supplies. Many places are lacking in food security and rely on basic agriculture for food. In these types of areas, people who are farmers have to produce for themselves and others and the effects of climate change can make this job very difficult. Droughts, storms, and floods and are all more likely and these disasters can have a major negative effect on how farmers grow their crops and keep their animals healthy. This can also affect consumers as prices could fluctuate upwards depending how much the producer is producing. Farmers are hit hard by this because less production means less money to make and those who already spend most of their money on food will have to accept the price increases that may occur. Crop quality and quantity decrease due to the increase of temperature and rainfall. Increased rainfall can cause flooding which can wash away soil that may be necessary for the stability of crop growth. Droughts can cause good fertile soil to dry up making it less effective and easily blown or washed away. A higher temperature also means higher CO2 levels which some studies show can increase plant growth, but with the combination of the frequently changing climate conditions the plant’s quality can greatly decrease. The areas where agriculture takes place can also change, as what was perfect weather for growing crops can change quickly into unhealthy environments for plants due to climate change. Many crops are in danger because of climate change. They say that if the global temperature rises by just 1o Celsius then the corn’s growing rate will decrease by 7%. Similarly, due to higher temperatures, areas where coffee is grown are more vulnerable to a fungus called coffee rust and also to plant destroying insects. Along with these two major crops, higher than average temperatures can cause plants such as the cacao plant, beans, cherries, and other similar crops to have less quality and quantity when it comes to the time of fruition. As crops are affected by these conditions, livestock can also become afflicted as well. Droughts can cause animals to get heat stress and although it may not affect them right away, gradually over time it can cause reduce fertility, reduce milk production, and cause disease. Many livestock eat plants and high temperatures can cause these plants to dry up and die. This may become a very difficult problem if it becomes more constant and that’s definitely a possibility observing how climate change seems to expand and have greater effects as the time passes. The amount of fish we are able to obtain will also decrease with high temperatures because if the oceans become warm then the fish will move towards the poles, the coldest parts of the world. When the winter is warmer it gives parasites and other viruses a better chance at surviving which is not good for any living plant or animal. It’s a shame that we should be worrying about preserving and saving food, but the opposite is the reality of the situation. According to the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), one third of the food that is produced globally is either lost or wasted. It was also estimated that approximately $2.6 trillion Is the cost of wasted food globally each year. The FAO also states that the world’s food production must increase by 60% in order keep up with the seemingly ever-changing climate.
Citations:
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=nasapub
https://archive.epa.gov/epa/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply.html
https://www.theguardian.com/vital-signs/2014/oct/29/diet-climate-maple-syrup-coffee-global-warming
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/356770/icode/
