Climate change is worldwide, changing weather patterns and causing uncertainty in food security. Now, a new UN report has revealed that climate change will displace hundreds of millions of people by the end of this century, which could increase the risk of violent conflict, according to The Independent.
A new study in Nature Climate Change revealed that global warming of only about 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) will reduce yields of staple crops like rice and maize as early as the 2030s, according to Time magazine.
"Our research shows that crop yields will be negatively affected by climate change much earlier than expected," said Andy Challinor, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Furthermore, the impact of climate change on crops will vary both from year-to-year and from place-to place-with the variability becoming greater as the weather becomes increasingly erratic."
So how much will crop yields decrease by in the future? The researchers found that climate change will have an increasingly negative impact on crops from the 2030s onward. This impact will be greatest in the second half of the century, when decreases of over 25 percent will become increasingly common.
"Climate change means a less predictable harvest, with different countries winning and losing in different years," said Challinor in a news release. "The overall picture remains negative, and we are now starting to see how research can support adaptation by avoiding the worse impacts."
As our climate changes across the globe, it's more important than ever to take food security into account. More specifically, countries will have to take steps in order to ensure that there's enough food for populations of people. As the world's population continues to increase, it's vital to introduce new methods of farming in order to remain ahead of the curve.
