Climate Crisis Intensifies Crop Pest Challenges and Food Losses

The destruction of food supplies by crop pests is being supercharged by the climate crisis, with losses expected to surge according to an analysis published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. Researchers warn that wheat, rice, and maize could see pest-related yield losses increase by 46%, 19%, and 31% respectively when global temperatures reach 2C.

Warmer temperatures are allowing pests such as aphids and locusts to thrive, develop faster, and invade new areas previously too cold for them. The analysis indicates that the climate crisis could cut yields by 6-10% for every 1C increase in global heating.

Additionally, the destruction of natural habitats and reliance on pesticides are crippling natural pest predators. Pest movement is also being accelerated through global trade networks. The research emphasizes the urgent need for agricultural diversification and the restoration of natural habitats to boost natural pest control.

Professor Dan Bebber from the University of Exeter warns that the current agricultural system is overly simplified and vulnerable to pest outbreaks, stating, 'We’ve been lucky so far.' The use of artificial intelligence is also mentioned as a potential tool to enhance crop protection by predicting infestations and devising strategies to tackle them.