IMPACTS OF CHANGE

The impacts of global warming will be felt across the globe. These are a few of the many examples of the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

American Crops

Agriculture in the United States is relatively well positioned to adapt to climate change, due in part to the advanced technologies available to U.S. farmers. The overall system is regionally diverse and has already adapted to a wide range of growing conditions. On the whole, U.S. crop production could increase, unless warming becomes great or the frequency of extreme weather increases.

American Agriculture Global warming may have positive as well as negative impacts. U.S. farmers have access to advanced agricultural technologies, which will help them to adapt to climate change. U.S. crop production may increase unless the warming is too great or extreme weather becomes more common. Agriculture in less-developed countries may experience more negative effects.

Isolated Arid Regions

Peoples most at risk of famine live in agriculturally isolated, arid or semi-arid regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. African agriculture was already unable to keep pace with population growth during the last decades of the 20th century. And climate models generally predict that mid-continental summer soil moisture will tend to be lower with greenhouse warming.

CO₂ Fertilization

Because plants require CO₂, rising levels may actually help plant growth. However, the increased plant growth requires adequate water supply and other fertilization, such as nitrates. Experiments in which crops are grown in CO₂-rich air show that the CO₂ fertilization effect could become small after a few years.

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