The Decline of Agriculture?

Farmers who depend on reliable seasonal patterns are troubled by climate change, whether gradual or volatile disruption. Farmers and climate researchers increasingly question agriculture’s ability to feed fast-growing populations. Early sprouting, dry spells, torrential rains, virulent pests and need for replanting are no longer rare occurrences. The weather extremes of 2011 are unprecedented, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization issued a report warning of “potentially catastrophic” impacts on food production, explains Dahr Jamail for Al Jazeera. Climate-change events destroy crops and hike food prices. The world’s poorest nations and the poorest communities in developed nations like the US will be hurt most as food constitutes major part of their spending. Extreme weather, water shortages and the long-term effects of chemical fertilizers wear away and destroy soil’s natural nutrients. One farmer interviewed noted that agriculture cannot survive the onslaught of huge and sudden shifts in precipitation and temperatures. – YaleGlobal