Climate Change And Food Shortages

If rising oceans, extreme weather events, and endangered species weren’t enough for you, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said we have not been worrying enough about the consequences of climate change on the food supply.

“On the food supply, the new report finds that benefits from global warming may be seen in some areas, like northern lands that are now marginal for food production. But it adds that over all, global warming could reduce agricultural production by as much as 2 percent each decade for the rest of this century.

During that period, demand is expected to rise as much as 14 percent each decade, the report found, as the world population is projected to grow to 9.6 billion in 2050, from 7.2 billion today, according to the United Nations, and as many of those people in developing countries acquire the money to eat richer diets.”

EPA issued its plans to help communities adapt to climate change on Friday, which is a welcome step.  But I’m betting those plans don’t include steps to deal with increasing global food shortages.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.