Global Warming to Cripple Some of the World's Agriculture

The negative effects of climate change and the resulting extreme weather will be more acute in low-income countries, where the capacity to adapt is limited.

Climate change is expected to lower the the planet’s potential for growing crops more than 15 percent by the 2080s, according to a report released by the World Bank.

The Little Green Data Book 2008 warns that developing countries will bear the brunt of the adverse effects of global warming with a nearly 20 percent drop in agricultural productivity compared to a 6 percent drop to be suffered by industrialized nations.

It adds that as agriculture delivers lower yields, food prices will rise even farther than the recent jump, and levels of malnutrition and related human diseases will also increase.

While impacts will be felt most strongly in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank points to ways to buffer agriculture there from the effects of a changing climate.

“Dealing with climate change impacts is possible and win-win opportunities can be found,” said Warren Evans, director of environment of World Bank, citing examples such as planting more trees to counter attacks by extreme weather patterns, prevent soil erosion and improve water storage.

Photo: World Food Program
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