Biotech Updates

Drought Hit Cereal Harvests Hardest Since 1980s

January 13, 2016

According to a new study led by researchers from McGill University and the University of British Columbia in Canada, drought and extreme heat events slashed cereal harvests in recent decades by 9% to 10% on average in affected countries, where the impact was greatest in the developed nations of North America, Europe, and Australasia.

The researchers analyzed national production data for 16 cereals in 177 countries that are included in an international database of extreme weather disasters. The study revealed that production levels in the more technically advanced agricultural systems of North America, Europe, and Australasia dropped by an average of 19.9% because of droughts, which is roughly double the global average.

For more information, read the news release at the McGill Newsroom.