Reuters - Climate Destabilization May Cut Southern Africa Grain Output By 50%

[hatrack]

DURBAN - Cereals production could fall by 50 percent in parts of southern Africa in the long term due to climate change, causing increased hunger and poverty, a researcher told an agriculture conference on Wednesday. South Africa is the largest carbon emitter on the continent, mainly due to its reliance on coal to produce most of its electricity.

Changes in the region's climate are expected to cause worse flooding in some parts and longer drought in others, reducing crops and raising prices. Other areas may face lower soil fertility, reducing harvests. "Overall, the effects of climate change in southern Africa are expected to be negative," said Constansia Musvoto, a researcher at South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). "Research that has been done shows that cereal production, for example, could fall by as much as 50 percent by 2080 in some areas and other areas in the region may be completely unsuitable for agriculture by then."

She said parts of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique -- the region's main cereal growers -- could be affected.

Southern Africa relies heavily on agriculture for food and many of the region's economies are dependent on farming exports for economic growth. "It (climate change) is very worrying because agriculture is a critical sector for southern Africa economies and any fall in production will obviously have grave consequences," said South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions chief executive Ishmael Sunga.

EDIT

http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/52451

[aquart]

1. We really haven't begun to imagine worldwide famine.

Or that we are going to lose MILLIONS of people.

[HereSince1628]

2. "Southern Africa relies heavily on agriculture for food"

Very few places in the world do not.

I suppose that a few places depend on gathering wild edibles, or on fishing. That statement seems odd to me.

Any idea on why it was stated that way?

[hatrack]

3. Agree - extremely silly statement

Maybe it was a local stringer writing for Reuters? :shrug:

[phantom power]

4. I have an idea.

It reflects an unconscious prejudice that only undeveloped countries are vulnerable to changes in land productivity. That we westerners are immune from the food implications of climate change.

GG might say it's a manifestation of the false man/nature dualism that we inherited from the enlightenment.

But that's just me spitballing.

[hatrack]

5. Sure - we forget about southern corn leaf blight in 1970

One new disease and we got clocked - in some states, 40% crop losses.

It can, and will, happen here.

[GliderGuider]

7. Developed nations rely heavily on supermarkets for food.

And the dualism started with our invention of the neocortex, not the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment just allowed it to manifest as a civilization-killing problem.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. lol

ouch, but lol.

[GliderGuider]

6. In other news, researchers confirm the "Dampness Index" of water is 1.0

Africa in 2040: The Darkened Continent

The long term carrying capacity of the Earth is probably around 1 billion people. The process of bringing us back into alignment with Gaia has to start somewhere.