Study Predicts Global Warming Will Hurt World Food Supply

August 25, 2014- Ozone pollution may compound global warming's damage to the world's food crops, a new study predicts.

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, used models and historical trends to analyze the impact of climate change and ozone on four of the world's major food crops: wheat, rice, maize and soybeans. Ozone can harm plants by slowing photosynthesis and killing cells.

The study showed that climate change is likely to reduce crop yields at least 10 percent by 2050 from 2000 levels.

Ground-level ozone, formed mainly from fossil fuel emissions from cars, industry and power plants, increases as temperatures rise. That's why air quality warnings are more frequent in hot weather and why global warming could boost ozone pollution.

“Ground-level ozone causes more damage to plants than all other air pollutants combined,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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