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.
1
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.
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Drought hotspots are concentrated in the central US, eastern Brazil, the Mediterranean region, and South Asia.
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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%.
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