Food safetyU.K. potential food crisis
Many climate experts believe a slight rise in U.K. temperatures would be beneficial for the farming industry as yields could increase; as temperatures continue to rise, however, farmers would need to use more and more fertilizer on their crops and some livestock would not be as productive; consumers could thus face reduced food choices
U.K. consumers could face dramatically reduced food choices in the future unless much more is done to cut greenhouse gas emissions, a hard-hitting University of Manchester report warns.
The Sustainable Consumption Institute research claims food which families now take for granted, such as meat and fresh vegetables, could become too expensive for many if global temperatures rise in line with the current trends and reach 4⁰C within the lifetime of many people.
Even if families continue to take steps to lower their carbon emissions from energy use, global farming emissions will continue to rise because of our growing appetite for energy-intensive foods and a rising demand to meet just basic living standards across the world.
The report warns that only by reducing consumption of energy, food, goods, and services can we have a good chance of minimizing the harmful effects of climate change.
A University of Manchester release reports that should the temperature rise above 2⁰C, consumers could find their shopping habits are radically altered. Most meats would soar in price, meaning families could have to adapt to a meat-free diets, the possibility of failing crops and staple food sources such as rice and wheat potentially being be devastated.
Globally, where non-carbon emissions such as those produced by agriculture make up around a quarter of total emissions — compared to around 10 percent in the United Kingdom — the picture is even more stark. Rice crops, for example, could be reduced by about 30 percent in the subcontinent in a “4°C” world, leading to potential food shortages and hunger.
The 2-year study, led by Dr. Alice Bows from the University of Manchester, claims that while a smarter use of technology and some shifts in how and what people consume could prevent a rise to 4⁰C, restricting the rise to just 2⁰C is impossible without a significant contribution from changes to consumption.
The researchers calculated the emissions of all goods consumed in the United Kingdom; including foods produced overseas but eaten in the United Kingdom. Most models only include goods produced in the United Kingdom, reducing the levels of emissions recorded.
Many climate experts believe a slight rise in U.K. temperatures would be beneficial for the farming industry as yields could increase. As temperatures continue to rise, however, farmers would need to use more and more fertilizer on their crops and some livestock would not be as productive. Both would lead to a further rise in
