Climate change will slash global yields by 2050, say experts

A report published by International Food Policy and Research (IFPR) warned that agriculture now has to be a major constituent at climate talks. Climate impacts on global commodity yields could have devastating effects on developing countries, where rainfall is already dangerously low. Food policy experts predict that by 2050, effects of climate change will cut global rain-dependent maize yields by 17 percent and irrigated rice yields by a fifth – as populations continue to surge.

Not only this, but “agriculture contributes about 14 per cent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. But by changing the types of crops grown, reducing land tillage and switching from annual to perennial crops — as well as changing crop genetics and improving the management of irrigation and fertiliser use — greenhouse gas emissions could be cut,” urges the report. Full story: Science and Development Network