Climate change threatens to cause ‘synchronised harvest failures’ across the globe, with implications for Australia’s food security

Tue, 8 Aug 2023 11:31:47 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-threatens-to-cause-synchronised-harvest-failures-across-the-globe-with-implications-for-australias-food-security-209250>

"New research shows scientists have underestimated the climate risk to
agriculture and global food production. Blind spots in climate models meant
“high-impact but deeply-uncertain hazards” were ignored. But now that the
threat of “synchronised harvest failures” has been revealed, we cannot ignore
the prospect of global famine.

Climate change models for North America and Europe had previously suggested
global warming would increase crop yields in the short term. Those regional
increases were expected to buffer losses elsewhere in global food supply.

But new evidence suggests climate-related changes to fast flowing winds in the
upper atmosphere (the jet stream) could trigger simultaneous extreme weather
events in multiple locations, with serious implications for global food
security.

I have been examining opportunities to manage agricultural risk for 25 years.
Much of that work involves learning how agricultural systems can be made more
resilient, not only to climate change but to all shocks. This involves
understanding the latest science as well as working with farmers and
decision-makers to make appropriate adjustments. As the evidence on climate
risk mounts, it’s clear Australia must urgently adapt and rethink our approach
to global trade and food security."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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