Climate Changes and the Effect on the Food industry

Agriculture has always been at the mercy of the weather, so it’s not surprising that climate change and food production are deeply linked.

As we look to the future, we see many ways that the stability of our food system will be challenged by rising temperatures, changing precipitation, and extreme weather. Let’s take a closer look.

WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

The weather patterns that belong to any particular place change all the time: from day to day, season to season, year to year, and in longer cycles like the El Niño/La Niña oscillation. Some are unpredictable, but many occur on a regular cycle, so they can be predicted on the scale of decades and centuries.

The term “climate change” addresses even larger patterns that span thousands and millions of years. Earth has undergone many major shifts in the average weather patterns that define local, regional, and global climates. These changes have typically been caused by events that altered the balance of greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere.

In the past, there have been both geological causes, like volcanoes, and biological causes, like the evolution of photosynthetic organisms.

Climate change has been, in one way or another, responsible for every mass extinction in Earth’s history. As average temperatures affected weather patterns, living things’ environments changed away from what suited them, including the abundance and availability of their food source. If they couldn’t adapt to an unpredictable world, they died out.

A period of rapid climate change is already underway, this time caused by human industrial activity. We’re already experiencing unprecedented weather events regularly, and we should expect the inevitable impact on our access to food. We’ll need to adapt, too.

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE

Increasing carbon dioxide, as we’re seeing now, has the effect of raising the average global temperature. The increase in average temperature creates knock-on effects on global wind patterns and ocean currents, and the result on a local level is temperature swings that are not in line with our past experiences.

Temperature, wind, and current changes will have an impact on both regular rainfall patterns and the frequency and severity of extreme weather phenomena. This could mean an overall reduction of rainfall in some places and an increase in others, punctuated by unpredictable disasters like floods, tornadoes, tropical storms, and droughts.

Higher carbon dioxide may, by itself, affect crop yields because carbon dioxide stunts the growth of many plants. Rising carbon dioxide also affects the nutritional quality of crops. It’s likely to reduce the density of protein and essential minerals in rice, wheat, and soybeans. This will have a direct impact on human health.

Other knock-on effects of climate change will have their own detrimental effect on crop yield. Higher temperatures will increase plants’ water requirements at a time when precipitation will be unpredictable. Right now, where we grow crops is based on a suitable climate, but crop yields will go down as the local climate becomes increasingly less suitable for the current crops.

Most crops are grown for livestock feed, so crop shortfalls and nutritional changes will also affect animal yields. At the same time, changes in rainfall will impact the forage for grazing livestock, as well as the availability of drinking water. This means reduced quantity and quality of animal products.

In addition to these issues, temperature increases will directly impact fishing yields through the collapse of suitable habitats. Extreme weather events can and will destroy entire crops. Dying plant life will leave nutrient-rich topsoil vulnerable to washing or blowing away, making crop production even more difficult.

CONSEQUENCES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

In most cases, the overall effect of climate change may be decreased food production. However, even when we occasionally get a large harvest due to favorable weather, it may not be as beneficial as we hope.

Unpredictable yields, whether from over- or under-production, will result in price fluctuations, distribution challenges, and food waste. Extreme weather phenomena are likely to cause supply chain disruptions. This means that even some food we successfully produce could rot before it reaches the place where it’s processed, distributed, and consumed.

CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

In the past, species that existed during a period of climate change had no choice but to adapt or go extinct as both the food source and weather that suited them changed wildly.

Hopefully, we can do better. After all, as humans, we innovate faster than we evolve.

We’ll need to attack the problem from all possible angles. That means mitigating the severity of climate change but also creating sustainable food systems and innovative ways to increase food security.

That means taking steps like:

• Leveraging AI to develop accurate predictive models that will enable us to plan and adapt to our changing climate.
• Invest in sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.
• Diversify food production and reduce reliance on monoculture to reduce risk.
• Implement water management systems to minimize crop damage from droughts or floods.
• Use food preservation techniques to mitigate supply fluctuations.
• Improve the resilience of our supply chains.
• Expand the amount of locally-circulated food production.
• Increase water retention in soil with the use of organic carbon.
• Creating more drought-resistant, heat-resilient versions of important crops.
• Developing food storage systems that can withstand extreme weather.

STAY A STEP AHEAD WITH LEARN2SERVE

As climate change continues to impact the food industry, ensuring food safety becomes more critical than ever. The shifting environmental conditions can introduce new challenges in food production, storage, and transportation, making it essential for food service professionals to stay updated with the latest safety protocols.

Stay ahead of the curve and protect your customers by enrolling in one of our comprehensive online food safety training courses. Our programs are available 24/7 on any mobile device for your convenience. Head to our website to get started today!