When “Once in a Century” Food Threats Happen Every 10 Years

The world’s food supply sits at a precarious balance. Swings in agricultural production due to drought or extreme heat can lead to spiking food prices, ecological damage, civil unrest, and other severe consequences.

To help governments and businesses prepare for these potential crises, scientists are using agricultural and climate model data to forecast the frequency, severity, and effect of extreme weather years.

In his July 8th talk at the Our Common Future Under Climate Change conference in Paris, University of Chicago and Computation Institute scientist Joshua Elliott estimated that these “once-in-a-century” threats may be far more frequent in the future, necessitating global protective measures.

[Elliott’s talk begins at 18:40]