A new study, published May 7 in the journal Nature, by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health warns that climate change will not only disrupt weather patterns but may reduce the nutritional value of basic foods.
The researchers looked at the nutrient levels in a variety of food crops grown in an elevated carbon dioxide environment, comparing them with crops grown under normal conditions. They found a decrease of the important nutrients, iron, protein, and zinc in the high CO2 environment.
"We found rising levels of CO2 are affecting human nutrition by reducing levels of very important nutrients in important food crops," said Prof. Samuel Myers, environmental health expert at the Harvard School of Public Heath (HSPH) and lead author of the paper, in a statement. From a health viewpoint, iron and zinc are hugely important."
An estimated 2 billion people already suffer from iron and zinc deficiencies. According to HSPH, "the reduction of these nutrients is the most significant health threat ever shown to be associated with climate change."
"This study is the first to resolve the question of whether rising CO2 concentrations–which have been increasing steadily since the Industrial Revolution–threaten human nutrition," Myers said.
The researchers analyzed data involving 41 types of grains and legumes that use carbon fixation from seven different locations in Japan, Australia, and the U.S. The results showed a significant decrease in concentrations of zinc, iron, and protein in the edible portions of wheat and rice. Some wheat grains showed decreases of up to 9.3 percent.
These results are worrying because Myers and his colleagues estimate that 2 billion to 3 billion people around the globe get 70 percent or more of their dietary zinc and iron from wheat and rice, HSPH said.
"This is yet another example of the impact climate change is already having on people's ability to grow and access the nutritious foods they need," said Hannah Stoddard of Oxfam in a statement. "With 25 million more children under five at risk of malnutrition by 2050 because of climate change, action to cut emissions and support communities to adapt is crucial."
Source : http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/rising-carbon-dioxide-levels-could-mean-crops-have-less-nutritional-value-new-study-says/
