A new assessment reveals that microplastic pollution is significantly damaging the world's staple crops, including wheat, rice, and maize, impairing plants' ability to photosynthesize. This could lead to a loss of up to 14% of these crops, further exacerbating global hunger, which already affected 700 million people in 2022. Estimates suggest an additional 400 million could face starvation within two decades if pollution continues unchecked. The research highlights the urgent need to combat microplastics to secure future food supplies, particularly as global populations rise. However, further research is necessary to refine these findings.
The pollution of the planet by microplastics is significantly cutting food supplies by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesise.
Microplastics could increase the number at risk of starvation by another 400 million in the next two decades, calling that an alarming scenario for global food security.
The annual crop losses caused by microplastics could be of a similar scale to those caused by the climate crisis in recent decades.
The findings underscore the urgency of cutting pollution to safeguard global food supplies in the face of the growing plastic crisis.
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