September 28, 2016

expert reaction to research on the impact of climate change on wheat, rice and other grasses

The effect of climate change on grasses such as wheat and rice is examined in a paper published in Biology Letters with the authors reporting that climate change is expected to outpace rate of adaptation.

Prof. Andrew Challinor, Professor of Climate Impacts at the University of Leeds, said:

“These results are indeed troubling. As the authors say, they do not predict what will happen to our food supply as climate changes. However, other research¹ is already beginning to show how climate change is outpacing our ability to adapt food production. In some areas urgent action is required.

“Today’s global assessment is a wake-up call to redouble efforts to work out when and where major problems are expected.”

¹ http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nclimate3061

‘Climate change is projected to outpace rates of niche change in grasses’ by F. Alice Cang et al. published in Biology Letters on Wednesday 28 September 2016. 

Declared interests

Prof. Challinor is the lead author of the ‘other research’ he references in his quote.