Uncertain Harvest: The Future of Food on a Warming Planet

Mosby, Ian, Sarah Rotz, and Evan Fraser. Uncertain Harvest: The Future of Food on a Warming Planet. 2020. 280p. ISBN 9780889777200.

What impact will climate change have on our agriculture? Everyday, the world needs to produce enough food to feed billions of people, and as the global population continues to grow, more food needs to be grown. Changes in temperature and precipitations are affecting the quality and the quantity of food being produced. The depletion of soils has to be counteracted with fertilizers, which requires fossil fuels to make. This fertilizer in turn polluted waterways and contributes to climate change. We already exploit too many animals for their meat consumption, and a sustainable world would require drastically altering the diet of the average American.

Eight foods that play a significant role in the world's diet are examined, and the impact of climate changes on these are explored. From rice to crickets, these food staples can provide enough caloric input, but will require a change in the mentality and the perception of what is food. Politicians, scientists, and chefs will all be confronted with this dilemma. How do you grow more food while reducing the impact on our planet? nothing short of a global discussion and international measures will help prepare for the future.