PubMed · 2026-05-19
Scientists mapped where drought hits crops hardest worldwide, finding that extreme dry conditions cost the world enough food to feed 2.1 billion people. Smarter irrigation and switching to drought-tolerant crops in the worst-affected regions could recover most of those losses.
Extreme drought conditions reduce global rainfed crop production by ~10.1% and irrigated production by ~6.8%, representing enough calories to feed 2.1 billion people.
Drought hotspots are concentrated in the central US, eastern Brazil, the Mediterranean region, and South Asia.
Sustainable irrigation expansion and targeted crop switching for monsoon cereals (rice, maize, millet, sorghum) could avoid 62% of rainfed losses while boosting median production by 14%.
