Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 17, 2026 · 20 MIN

Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating

from The World, the Universe and Us · host New Scientist

Episode 386 The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per year by 2100 - although that could be an underestimate. While this means food prices will keep on rising in developed countries, the majority of the population in the world’s least developed regions work in farming, so crop losses have the potential to destabilise them, creating social unrest and increased migration. But beyond getting emissions under control, do we need to completely rethink how we produce food globally in order to combat this?  Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Michael Le Page to discuss this new prediction and the action needed to stop it coming true. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 17, 2026

Episode 386 The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per year by 2100 - although that could be an underestimate. While this means food prices will keep on rising in developed countries, the majority of the population in the world’s least developed regions work in farming, so crop losses have the potential to destabilise them, creating social unrest and increased migration. But beyond getting emissions under control, do we need to completely rethink how we produce food globally in order to combat this?  Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Michael Le Page to discuss this new prediction and the action needed to stop it coming true. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating

0:00 20:09

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The World, the Universe and Us?

This episode is 20 minutes long.

When was this The World, the Universe and Us episode published?

This episode was published on July 17, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Episode 386 The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per...

Can I download this The World, the Universe and Us episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!