“The extreme heat that Europe is currently facing is a loud alarm bell: our food system is in trouble,” the executive director of global NGO Crop Trust, Stefan Schmitz has warned.
The warning comes as the UK faces extreme heat conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees celcius.
As a result, the NGO is calling for some support as three crops wheat, maize and rice, which make up nearly half of he world’s food supply, are all vulnerable to extreme weather conditions like drought and heat.
Schmitz said without some help the UK’s most “beloved” foods will not be able to withstand climate change, which is “already leading to crop failures, rising food prices, and surges in hunger and malnutrition worldwide.”
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He added: “We must invest in a food system that both contributes less to climate change, and is more resilient to it. We can’t do this without crop diversity.
“Plant breeders can use crop diversity to develop varieties that are more tasty and nutritious, can withstand pests and diseases, and remain productive in the face of a changing climate and with fewer inputs. The diversity between and within crops underpins the sustainability of the world’s food supply.”
He concluded: “It’s not just wheat, maize and rice that need diversity to survive. Agriculture itself must diversify, which means more investment in fruits, vegetables, pulses, and lesser-known crops. We must protect the diversity of all crops, both in farmers’ fields and in seed banks. It’s the only way to a climate-smart agriculture.”
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