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It's true that as temperatures warm, there is likely to be a temporary beneficial effect on agriculture. Like people, plants generally prefer warmth to cold, and they may flourish with rising levels of CO2. But research from Wolfram Schlenker at Columbia University shows that, as average temperatures continue to warm, those benefits dwindle and eventually reverse, and crop yields begin to decline. "It simply becomes too hot for the growing plants," says Naylor, director of the Program for Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University. "The heat damages the crops' ability to produce enough yield."


Many climatologists believe that global warming will make dry areas dryer and further damage farming, which is especially dire news for sub-Saharan Africa, a region that already struggles with heat waves, droughts and famines even as population continues to grow.


With these frightening predictions in mind, we need to try to heat-proof our agriculture. That can be accomplished by using crops that have proved resistant to extreme heat — like sorghum or millet — to breed hybrid-crop varieties that are more capable of withstanding higher temperatures. We'll need to drop any squeamishness about consuming genetically modified crops. Unless we can tap the power of genetics, we'll never feed ourselves in a warmer world. But we'll need to act quickly. It can take years to breed more heat-resistant species, and investment in agricultural research has shriveled in recent years.


We also need to focus on improving the agricultural productivity of those parts of the world that have been left behind by the Green Revolution — like Africa, where average crop yields per acre remain well below those in Asia or the West. One simple way is to increase the amount of fertilizer available to African farmers.


There's a limit, however, to our ability to adapt to climate change. We need to reduce carbon emissions sharply and soon. If we fail, a warmer future won't just be uncomfortable; it will be downright frightening.



Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1870766,00.html#ixzz...


Some doubts about genetically modified crops remain, however…



Views: 14

Comment by Cian Gregory Accuardi Shelley on March 12, 2010 at 11:26pm
i don't think genetic engeneering is the answer. it may be helpful in some regions but it's not a real solution.

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