Climate and Crops

Recently we have been warned that the favorable weather of recent years which we have come to think of as being average, is not average at all. It is suggested that harder times are ahead. What will the effect be on global food production which already seems to be running a losing race with consumption?

Worldwide, the most important crop is rice. Even minor decreases in mean temperature are thought likely to reduce the crucial yield of rice. Other important crops are soybeans, wheat and corn, all widely grown in the U. S., Canada and U.S.S.R. Since these crops grow under more varied conditions than rice, minor climatic changes are likely to affect them less. But despite the versatility of these and other crops, the combined production in a bad year seems unlikely to affect the expected reductions in rice.

What does all this mean to Alaska's future? Will Alaska grow more of its food resources in the years to come? Will changing climate affect Alaska's ability to produce food and if so, will the changing climate be as important a factor as changing economic conditions brought on by food shortages elsewhere?