According to United Nations projections, the world population will rise to approximately 9.1 billion by the year 2050. The majority of the projected rise is to occur in Asia, especially in China and India. With the growth of the world population, concerns surrounding food production are raised. Along with impacts of global warming, the percentage of the world population unable to be fed adequately is also projected to drastically rise.
Currently the world relies heavily on corn (or maize), wheat and rice. Wheat, the second most prevalent crop worldwide, currently supplies a fifth of the world with protein. But with the impacts of global warming, experts project that crop yields could decrease by thirty percent by 2050 while the world would require fifty percent more yield. The combination of a growing population and decreasing agricultural output could be catastrophic for populations across the globe.
Unfortunately a new study performed by David Lobell from Stanford University points to an even bleaker picture. Through studying satellite imagery of wheat crops in India over the past nine years, Lobell found that the impacts of global warming are already occurring. Pressure from global warming on the wheat crop could indicate that the impact on crops come 2050 could be even more drastic than previously predicted. Crop yields may actually decrease significantly more, with upwards of 66 percent of crops in danger of global warming in poor nations.
Lobell discovered that when temperatures rose in the Ganges plain of India, wheat stopped growing and turned brown early. Wheat is traditionally planted in November in India and harvested come spring. In addition to a potentially changing planting season, wheat which stops growing and turns brown earlier is also lower in nutrients due to lack of growing time. Therefore the grain is subsequently not as nutritious for those consuming it, potentially requiring an even greater increase in yield.
Wheat is traditionally a cooler crop and does not do well under heated conditions. However, due to the potential impact of global warming scientists are working to crossbreed wheat crops for heat and drought resistance. Changes in crop planting times are also being analyzed.
