Climate change |
Developing ways to
improve staple crops so that they can withstand some of the adverse
effects of climate change will ensure food security and agricultural
livelihood for generations to come.
A recent report
from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) found that
at current rates of climate change, it is likely that global food
production will decline by two percent every decade until at least 2050,
just as the world's population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people.
As a result of
these factors, people may be forced to eat fewer fruits, vegetables, and
red meat products because their availability may be scarce and prices
may rise accordingly. Access to food may also be limited by
climate-related vulnerabilities in transportation, storage, and
processing.
Projection models
from the World Bank likewise show that by the 2030s-2040s, between 40 to
80 percent of cropland used to grow staple crops like maize, millet and
sorghum could be lost due to the effects of higher temperatures,
drought and aridity.
At the same time,
increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are already decreasing the
nutritional quality of crops - lowering their concentrations of vital
micronutrients like zinc and iron. In a 2014 study on CO2 and crop
nutrition, Samuel Myers of Harvard University and his colleagues
determined that the CO2 levels in the second half of this century would
likely reduce the levels of zinc, iron, and protein in wheat, rice,
peas, and soybeans.
Some two billion
people live in countries where citizens receive more than 60 percent of
their zinc or iron from these foods. Many already suffer from diets that
lack enough of these important minerals, and increased deficiencies of
these vital nutrients would have even more devastating health
consequences.
A new technology
known as biofortification - the process of increasing the nutrient
content of staple food crops - is a promising tool in the global effort
to mitigate these trends.
Many of the effects
of climate change are already being felt. Increased drought and aridity
are now a reality in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, leading to widespread
harvest losses and livestock death. As a result, malnutrition levels in
the area have skyrocketed. In Somalia alone, the UN says more than six
million people are in need of urgent help.
Though climate
change continues to progress at an advanced pace, researchers and
policymakers can help offset some of the negative impact on farmers by
focusing on crop adaptation strategies. Organizations like HarvestPlus
and our global partners recognize the necessity of climate resilience
and our scientists, plant breeders and country teams are working daily
to scale out more climate-resilient crops.
At the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Palmira, Colombia,
researchers are developing beans that can "beat the heat." Often
referred to as "the meat of the poor," beans offer a crucial source of
vitamins and protein as well as income for millions of people,
particularly in Africa and Latin America.
But climate
modeling suggests that, over the coming decades, higher temperatures
will threaten bean production, reducing yields and quality. Moreover,
heat stress could diminish the area for growing beans by up to 50% in
eastern and central Africa by the year 2050.
By identifying
elite lines of beans that show strong tolerance to heat - up to 30
degrees Celsius - breeders can develop more productive, nutritionally
improved beans that are resilient even in harsh growing conditions.
Indeed, climate
resistant traits are integral to all 150 varieties of the 12 staple
crops we and our partners have developed. We run extensive tests to
ensure crops will be successful, from stress tests in the field
mimicking intense climate conditions, to studies in laboratories.
Under repeatable
stress conditions, we generate an environment for testing which allows
breeding for climate smart, robust varieties with high micro¬nutrient
and high yield stability.
The traits bred
into our crops are virus, disease and pest resistance, as well as
drought and heat tolerance. These selective plant breeding techniques
are just one means of securing agriculture in areas vulnerable to
climate change, but we have to do more.
As climate change
continues to play a dominant role in agriculture and food security, we
have to remain committed to continued research to be sure people in
rural communities receive the most nutritious and resilient crop
varieties available.
With ongoing crises
of famine in five countries stretching from Africa to the Middle East,
farmers and vulnerable populations are relying on policymakers,
scientists and aid workers to provide the necessary tools to mitigate
hunger and prevent additional harvest losses.
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