All of our food sources are closely linked to their environments As the climate changes farmers may need to adjust what crops they grow and where and when they grow them The same hot weather that is good for limes and other citrus fruit makes kale and spinach bolt and taste bitter There is a lot of evidence that Earth's climate is changing The global average temperature is increasing Precipitation patterns are changing Glaciers are melting oceans are warming and becoming more acidic and sea levels are rising Extreme weather events such as droughts fires and flooding have become more common
It could also become more difficult to raise animals Dry spells drought and heat waves are hard on livestock Warmer weather could lower the quality of their feed As water temperatures rise fisheries will also be affected Cattle and pigs eat less when under heat stress
1 2 trillion CLIMATE PITATIC Climate change is already affecting our food supplies But the amount and quality of food we produce doesn't depend on climate alone Farming practices new technology and even politics also come into play People's beliefs affect our government policies and how we do business Effects of climate change cost the world 1 2 trillion dollars per year There is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that human activities are a major cause of climate change But not everyone wants to accept this Some industries and politicians do not want to take inconvenient steps that might limit economic growth now for benefits that will only show up sometime in the future
SMART FARM How farms fare in the future depends on all of us By educating ourselves about climate change and the effects that farming practices have on the environment we will be able to make informed choices going forward If everyone in the U S gave up beef one day a week national greenhouse gas emissions would decrease by 0 3 percent annually
