Crop losses for critical food grains will increase with global warming as rising temperatures boost the metabolism and population growth of insect pests, finds new UVM research in the , , , , and .
The study, published in Science, found that just a two-degree rise in global average temperature will result in total crop losses of approximately 213 million tons for rice, maize, and wheat.
“When the temperature increases, the insects’ metabolism increases so they have to eat more,” said Scott Merrill, a researcher in UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment and . “That’s not good for crops.”
Other mentions include: , , , , .