A
field
of
leafy
green
vegetables,
including
spinach
and
kale,
growing
on
the
Isle
of
Man
in
the
UK.
pastie
/
iStock
/
Getty
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Climate
change
is
bad
for
food
production
in
more
ways
than
one.
Aside
from
stress
from
extreme
heat,
drought
and
flooding,
climate
change
is
also
decreasing
the
nutrient
value
in
crops,
according
to
a
new
study.
The
preliminary
research,
presented
this
week
at
the
Society
for
Experimental
Biology’s
Annual
Conference
Antwerp
2025,
has
revealed
that
higher
temperatures
and
increasing
levels
of
carbon
dioxide
in
the
atmosphere
are
leading
to
lower
nutritional
value
for
crops,
especially
for
leafy
greens.
The
findings
build
upon
previous
studies
that
have
considered
how
a
warming
world
could
impact
crop
yields.
“Our
work
looks
beyond
quantity
to
the
quality
of
what
we
eat,”
said
Jiata
Ugwah
Ekele,
doctorate
student
at
Liverpool
John
Moores
University
in
the
UK,
as
reported
by
ScienceDaily.
Ekele
and
her
research
team
grew
leafy
crops,
such
as
spinach,
kale,
and
arugula,
in
labs
with
climate
controls
to
mimic
projected
warming
and
greenhouse
gas
emission
scenarios
in
the
UK.
[embedded content]
“These
environmental
changes
can
affect
everything
from
photosynthesis
and
growth
rates
to
the
synthesis
and
storage
of
nutrients
in
crops,”
Ekele
explained.
Then,
the
nutritional
value
of
the
crops
was
analyzed
using
high-performance
liquid
chromatography
(HPLC)
and
x-ray
fluorescence.
With
lower
levels
of
warming
and
increased
carbon
dioxide,
plants
grew
larger,
but
still
had
lower
nutrient
levels,
including
declines
in
calcium
and
some
antioxidants.
With
higher
increases
in
warming
and
carbon
dioxide,
plants
not
only
lost
nutritional
value
at
a
greater
scale,
but
they
also
did
not
grow
larger
as
they
had
in
the
lower
warming
and
carbon
dioxide
scenarios.
However,
different
crops
responded
in
different
ways,
with
variances
of
particular
nutrients.
Ekele
noted
that
higher
carbon
emission
levels
could
lead
to
higher
sugar
levels
in
crops,
yet
lower
levels
of
essential
nutrients.
“It’s
not
just
about
how
much
food
we
grow,
but
also
what’s
inside
that
food
and
how
it
supports
long-term
human
wellbeing,”
she
said.
The
research
is
still
underway,
and
Ekele’s
research
team
is
seeking
collaborators
to
further
explore
these
nutritional
changes
in
crops
to
better
inform
policies
and
procedures
that
are
resilient
to
climate
change
and
its
effects.
“As
the
climate
continues
to
change,
we
must
think
holistically
about
the
kind
of
food
system
we’re
building
—
one
that
not
only
produces
enough
food,
but
also
promotes
health,
equity,
and
resilience,”
Ekele
said.
“Food
is
more
than
just
calories;
it’s
a
foundation
for
human
development
and
climate
adaptation.”
Previous
research
has
found
that
climate
change
is
already
threatening
some
of
the
world’s
major
crops,
such
as
soybeans,
rice
and
wheat.
Another
study
focused
in
the
UK
found
that
the
country’s
existing
crops
like
strawberries
and
onions
could
become
less
viable
for
growing
in
the
region
under
2
degrees
Celsius
warming,
and
farmers
may
need
to
switch
to
growing
different,
non-native
crops
under
higher
warming
scenarios.
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