Air pollution Plus Climate Change will Reduce Food Production

A new study suggests that rise in global temperatures along with increase in levels of ozone pollution in the environment can reduce crop yields.

Climate change is already reducing food production. The latest study has found that a combination of pollution and temperature could lower food supply even further.

The study, conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, shows that policymakers need to jointly address global warming and air pollution and develop strategies to maintain food security.

For the research, the scientists looked at how four major food crops - rice, wheat, corn, and soy - respond to a rise in temperature as well as pollutants. Corn, researchers say, is sensitive to heat while wheat is more sensitive to ozone exposure.

According to the researchers, warming is expected to reduce crop yields by about 10 percent by 2050, provided all other factors remain same. Researchers say that pollution control in U.S and elsewhere will affect food quality worldwide.

Related research has shown that rise in temperature and ozone levels independently affect crop yield. MIT scientists say that these two factors can even combine to damage plants. For example, warm temperature increases production of ozone.

Researchers in the current study found that 46 percent of the soybean damage that was earlier considered to be due to heat is actually linked to increase in ozone.

Agricultural production is "very sensitive to ozone pollution," said Colette Heald, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at MIT, according to a news release.

Heald added that the study results "show how important it is to think about the agricultural implications of air-quality regulations. Ozone is something that we understand the causes of, and the steps that need to be taken to improve air quality."

Several developing countries will have to deal with higher levels of undernourishment due to air pollution levels. Researchers say that under the most pessimistic air quality scenario, malnourishment will rise from 18 to 27 percent by 2050.

The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change and was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Park Service and the Croucher Foundation.