Climate change is making food less healthy – and putting millions of people at risk of nutrient deficiencies (Better Nutrition)
November 1y
Better Nutrition published an article stating that excess CO2 reduces the production of protein and other nutrients in crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice. As CO2 levels rise, scientists and economists are racing to help our global agriculture system adapt. In 2010, economist and senior research fellow (HarvestPlus) Ekin Birol first heard the news at a research conference: a growing body of data showed that climate change was eroding the nutritional content of staple crops. Birol works to reduce nutrient deficiencies in diets around the world — an issue she calls “hidden hunger.” People experiencing nutrient deficiencies may not feel or look hungry, she says, but their poor diet might still be responsible for decreased immunity to disease, increased mortality in childbirth, and difficulty with brain development and learning in children. Birol says, what is really needed more than individual change. She says, is collective action to change agricultural standards and practices the world over. “Our aim is for breeding for nutrients to become the new normal,” she says, “so that 10 years from now, we don’t have to worry about nutrition.” (Reach 13.6K) Originally published in Vegetarian Times