Recent studies indicate that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the environment are leading to food that is higher in calories but lower in nutritional quality and potentially more toxic. Stereo Haar, a lecturer at Leiden University, and her team developed a method to analyze multiple studies on plant responses to CO2, revealing significant changes in nutrient density across various crops.
While crop yields may increase, the nutrient content—especially zinc and protein—will decline, raising concerns about "hidden hunger," where individuals consume enough calories but lack essential nutrients. Their analysis covered 60,000 measurements across 32 nutrients in 43 crops, showing that nutrients generally decrease by an average of 3.2% as CO2 levels rise. Notably, zinc in chickpeas could drop by 37.5%, and essential crops like rice and wheat are similarly affected.
The researchers used a baseline CO2 level of 350 ppm, comparing it to expected levels of 550 ppm by 2065, currently at 425.2 ppm. The study emphasizes that climate change is already impacting food quality, particularly in the Netherlands, a major agricultural exporter, where crops are grown in CO2-enriched environments. Experts highlighted the need for further research into the effects of agricultural practices on crop nutrition, with some cautioning that factors like fertilizer application also influence nutrient levels.
Haar stresses that acknowledging these issues is the first step toward solutions, aiming for further studies on climate change and nutrient composition in food. The findings were published in Global Change Biology.
