What climate change is doing to wheat, and why that matters
Can you imagine Paris without croissants, Rome without spaghetti or New Delhi without chapatis?
The wheat used in our favourite foods is the world’s most important crop. But scientific research now shows that wheat will be severely affected by climate change – and this will have an impact on all of our food needs by 2050.
Wheat faces threats from variable weather, disease and many other challenges. To combat these dangers, crop scientists from around the world convened in Saskatoon in Canada’s Sasketchewan province in July for the first International Wheat Congress to discuss how technology can help produce bigger yields, more nutritious grains and also support farmers’ livelihoods around the world.
This report from Emmanuelle Landais, who attended the congress, is the first of a three-part series.
