Extreme weather events, driven in part by climate change around the globe, could lead to shortages of food, according to a new study. Heat waves, droughts and more frequent heavy storms could wreak havoc, especially in certain countries.
Food shocks could become more likely as severe weather strikes populated areas and farmland in nations around the world. American and English researchers collaborated to determine how great of an effect extreme storms could have on the global food supply. Investigators determined that, given current trends, food shortages of a degree normally seen once a century could occur once every three decades in the foreseeable future.
"The chance of having a weather-related food shock is increasing, and the size of that shock is also increasing. And as these events become more frequent, the imperative for doing something about it becomes even greater," Tim Benton from Leeds University said.
Demand for food around the world will rise by 60 percent over today's levels by the year 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Greater wealth around the world could also lead to an increased demand for livestock, the FAO warns.
In wealthier nations, decreased availability of staple food products can adversely affect the poor, causing those populations to cut back on the quantity or quality of their food. Ironically, this can often cost these families more in the long run.
"In poorer countries, especially those with fragile governance, rapid food price inflation undermined civil order, and, in part was a spark for the Arab Spring and the consequences that have followed," the UK-US Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food System Resilience stated in their synthesis report.
Governments around the world could exacerbate the problem presented by extreme weather if they implement additional tariffs or import or export bans in response to shortages, researchers stated.
The team that created the report examined how some of the world's most important crops, including wheat, rice, soybeans and corn, might be affected by an increase in the frequency of extreme storms. A majority of the production of these four crops takes place in the United States, China and India. Therefore, extreme weather events in these nations could have a devastating effect on food supplies in other nations.
The report concluded that food producers should do what they can to better adapt to a changing climate and increase productivity to keep up with a rising population. Nations around the globe should also work together to produce international contingency plans for coming food supply emergencies, researchers determined.
Photo: Craig O'Neal | Flickr
