Combining the effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on protein, iron, and zinc availability and projected climate change on global diets: a modelling study

Previous Next

Latest Posts

Global food systems: Can foresight learn from hindsight?

Posted by on 2021-09-28

Construction of plausible scenarios for alternative futures of global food systems requires an understanding of how the past led to the present, and the past’s likely relevance to the future. Policy actions affected the past, but are very difficult to foresee. Among those that most shaped global food systems in…

Prospects and challenges of fish for food security in Africa

Posted by on 2021-09-28

Fish contribute to Africa’s food and nutrition security, but future directions for the fish sector remain uncertain. Using a structural foresight modeling approach, this paper examines past, present, and future trends of fish supply and demand in Africa to highlight challenges and prospects of the fish sector’s contribution to food…

Supporting sustainable expansion of livestock production in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa: Scenario analysis of investment options

Posted by on 2021-09-28

Growth in demand for livestock-derived foods will likely remain strong in low- and middle- income countries, fueling concerns about expansion of production and the management of natural resources. Recent research suggests that the envisioned negative effects are not inevitable and that benefits such as improved food security can be enhanced.

Understanding the consequences of changes in the production frontiers for roots, tubers and bananas

Posted by on 2021-09-28

The widely recognized role of roots, tubers and bananas (RT&Bs) in achieving food security and providing income opportunities in the world’s poorest regions will be challenged by socioeconomic and climate related drivers. These will affect demand and production patterns and increase pressure on farming systems. Foresight results presented in this…

The future of Blue Carbon science

Posted by on 2021-09-28

The term Blue Carbon (BC) was first coined a decade ago to describe the disproportionately large contribution of coastal vegetated ecosystems to global carbon sequestration. The role of BC in climate change mitigation and adaptation has now reached international prominence. To help prioritise future research, we assembled leading experts in…

51017685120_6c83eec0b8_c

Foresight Synthesis Briefs (1)

Posted by Gideon Kruseman on 2023-09-11
a27a8f09-412d-3754-a4fd-bd3aedb25903

Making foresight material interoperable

Posted by Gideon Kruseman on 2024-03-01

Summary

Background

Increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) affect global nutrition via effects on agricultural productivity and nutrient content of food crops. We combined these effects with economic projections to estimate net changes in nutrient availability between 2010 and 2050.

Methods

In this modelling study, we used the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade to project per capita availability of protein, iron, and zinc in 2050. We used estimated changes in productivity of individual agricultural commodities to model effects on production, trade, prices, and consumption under moderate and high greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Two independent sources of data, which used different methodologies to determine the effect of increased atmospheric CO2 on different key crops, were combined with the modelled food supply results to estimate future nutrient availability.

Findings

Although technological change, market responses, and the effects of CO2 fertilisation on yield are projected to increase global availability of dietary protein, iron, and zinc, these increases are moderated by negative effects of climate change affecting productivity and carbon penalties on nutrient content. The carbon nutrient penalty results in decreases in the global availability of dietary protein of 4·1%, iron of 2·8%, and zinc of 2·5% as calculated using one dataset, and decreases in global availability of dietary protein of 2·9%, iron of 3·6%, and zinc of 3·4% using the other dataset. The combined effects of projected increases in atmospheric CO2 (ie, carbon nutrient penalty, CO2 fertilisation, and climate effects on productivity) will decrease growth in the global availability of nutrients by 19·5% for protein, 13·6% for iron, and 14·6% for zinc relative to expected technology and market gains by 2050. The many countries that currently have high levels of nutrient deficiency would continue to be disproportionately affected.

Interpretation

This approach is an improvement in estimating future global food security by simultaneously projecting climate change effects on crop productivity and changes in nutrient content under increased concentrations of CO2, which accounts for a much larger effect on nutrient availability than CO2 fertilisation. Regardless of the scenario used to project future consumption patterns, the net effect of increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 will slow progress in decreasing global nutrient deficiencies.

Funding

US Environmental Protection Agency, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CIGAR) Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM), and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change and Food Security (CCAFS).