Fly XG (China) published an article on climate change and nutrition. According to senior scientist, Tim Sulser, “We have recently made great strides in reducing global undernutrition, but global population growth over the next 30 years will require increased production of food that provides adequate nutrition. These findings suggest that climate change may slow the progress of global nutrition improvement by simply making key nutrients less available than they would be without it.”
The impact of shortages also varies by individual crop. For example, shortages of nutrients in wheat have particularly wide-ranging effects. “In many parts of the world, wheat makes up a large portion of the diet, so any changes in nutrient concentrations can have a major impact on the micronutrients that many people get. The study’s models were limited to 2050, but Sulser added that “extending the analysis into the second half of the century when climate change is expected to have a stronger impact, will lead to further reductions in nutrient availability.” Sulser concluded that “Diet and human health are complex and unpredictable, and by reducing the availability of key nutrients, climate change will further complicate efforts to end global malnutrition.”