Warming Temperatures Bring Droughts and Nutritional Stress
Summary . In the U. S. and across wide regions of the globe, 2011 and 2012 have recorded heat waves and droughts at or near record levels. These have severely impacted yields, and prices, of world staple grain crops. OXFAM has issued a new report that projects impacts of global warming on staple grain crops and prices up to 2030. As a baseline, it shows that yields and prices will rise significantly as a lon-term trend over this period. But more importantly the effects of regional short-term extreme weather “shocks” must be added to the long-term trends. These can produce serious crop and nutritional deficiencies, especially in regions of poverty around the world. OXFAM urges renewed efforts to mitigate global warming, and investments by developed countries to help poorer nations adapt to the effects of long-term warming and short-term shocks on agricultural yields and nutritional status. Introduction . Recent years have seen increa...