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A new research found that the world’s vegetable supply may decline because of climate change.
Dr. Pauline Scheelbeek [sheel-beek] and her research team from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted the study to look into the possible effects of climate change on non-staple vegetables and legumes. The researchers did so by analyzing related studies published from 1975 to 2016 across 40 countries.
The analysis particularly focused on how certain climate change factors could affect crop production. These factors included heightened greenhouse gas levels, water scarcity, and increasing temperatures.
Based on the findings, the said factors may cause a 35% decrease in global vegetable supply and a 9% decline in legume supply by 2050. This threat to global agriculture production can, in turn, affect food security and population health. This is because vegetables and legumes are essential to a healthy diet.
To counter the decreasing vegetable supply, the researchers recommended that all governments should work together to support the agricultural sector. Specifically, governments should prioritize improving the agriculture’s resilience to changes in environmental conditions.
On another note, a study led by a research scientist from Harvard’s Department of Environmental Health tackled the relationship between climate change and the nutritional content of staple crops, such as wheat, rice, and legumes.
The study found that exposure to increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere lessened the nutritional content of staple crops. Additionally, the legumes’ zinc and iron content decreased. Having insufficient levels of these nutrients usually results in health-related issues like appetite loss, fatigue, and diarrhea, among others.