Impact of Warming of Yield of Staple Crops

Prelims: Environment and ecology| Current events of national and international importance

Why in news?

Recent research paper in Nature journal shows how warming will cut yield of staple crops even post-adaptation like using heat-resistant seeds, changing sowing dates, or altering irrigation.

Major findings of the report

For every 1°C rise in global temperature, per person calorie availability may fall by 4% by 2100.

• Staple crops — Rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, and soybean — will face declining yields by 2050 and 2100.
• Specific crop impacts – Wheat will face severe losses projected for Northern India, some of the worst globally.
• Rice – Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Central Asia faces up to 50% yield losses.
• Maize, Soybean, Sorghum - Similar declining trends globally, though exact figures vary.
• Adaptation can help, but not fully – Optimal global adaptation could alleviate 23% of losses by 2050 and 34% by 2100.
• But significant residual losses will persist, especially in wheat-growing regions.

Broader Implications

• Global food security threatened – It will lead to food security issues in developing and under developed countries.
• Innovation, cropland expansion, and further adaptation are crucial.
• Modern breadbaskets at risk – Losses may dominate in regions traditionally seen as food-secure (US, Europe, China).
• Vulnerable populations still at risk – Though the largest absolute losses occur in high-producing regions, the impact on low-income regions remains "substantial."

Reference

The Hindu| Warming will cut yield of staple crops even post-adaptation