How climate breakdown is putting the world's food in peril - in maps and charts

"Crop yields have increased enormously over the past few decades. But early warning signs have arrived as crop yield rates flatline, prompting warnings of efficiency hitting its limits and the impacts of climate change taking effect. At first glance trends seem positive. Farming methods have become more and more efficient over the last 80 years. However, multiple projections suggest that climate change will soon have key crops plateauing, then sliding down again."

"Experts have warned that, under high-emission scenarios, future crop yields could decrease by a quarter. This is largely because of extreme weather events wreaking havoc on agriculture. In just the last two years, increasing extremes seen with global weirding have had an impact on agriculture, with wild fluctuations in rainfall attributed to a number of record low yields. The map below shows some extreme weather events between 2023 and 2024, and how they are imperilling our ability to grow food."

Crop yields increased substantially over recent decades due to more efficient farming methods. Recent data show crop yield rates flatlining, signaling efficiency gains may be reaching limits. Multiple projections indicate climate change will cause key crops to plateau and then decline, reducing yields across major crops. The modelling cited accounts for climate forecasts and income growth but excludes possible technological innovations or land-use changes that could alter outcomes. Global population is projected to grow by about 2 billion by century's end. Under high-emission scenarios, future crop yields could fall by roughly a quarter, driven largely by extreme weather and erratic rainfall patterns that disrupt harvests.

Read at www.theguardian.com