Agricultural Industry Must Adapt to Climate Change

For the past few years, we have seen food prices on items like corn an peanut butter in this country rise to levels they have never reached.  Climate change has a definite impact on the price of food, but, at the same time, the agricultural industry.  Something must done to stop this lose-lose situation.Primary effect of the agricultural industry on the environment:

• 17,000 megatonnes (29% of all greenhouse gas emissions) of carbon-dioxide are released annually into the atmosphere.  Most of the causes of excessive pollution in agriculture:

• Growing crops

• Raising livestock

• Manufacturing fertilizer

• Storage, transportation, and refrigerating of food

But, climate change is also hurting the agricultural industry.  According to Sonja Vermeulen, the leading researcher at Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security, "The food-related emissions and, conversely, the impacts of climate change on agriculture and the food system, will profoundly alter the way we grow and produce food. This will affect different parts of the world in radically different ways, but all regions will have to change their current approach to what they grow and eat."Effects of climate change on foods supply:

• Irrigated wheat production in developing countries (where population is highest) will fall by 13 percent by 2050

• Irrigated rice also in developing countries could decrease by 15 percent by 2050

• In Africa, maize farmers could lose 10 to 20 percent of their crops

• "The cost of feeding livestock with maize and grain will become more expensive."  Thus, the prices of almost every food item will increase.

So, as the irregular weather patterns due to climate change continue to impact farms both in the United States and abroad, prices of crops will continue to rise even with the population rising exponentially.  Something has to be done.

Source: http://newshour.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2012/05/24/0504_couser-field_homepage_feature.jpg

"Agriculture & food production contribute up to 29 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions." Agriculture Week 15 Nov. 2012: 84. Global Issues In Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2012.

How will people in developing countries develop to these food shortages and price increases?