Ag Production Faces Climate Change

Over the last several years drought has hit in at least one if not several areas of the country. Seasoned farmers with years of experience fighting such things as droughts, floods, disease and pests will tell you that when you go into farming you know that all of those things and more are a very real possibility at any given time. Thankfully, not always at the same time or the at the same intensity. The newest report on the risks of climate change to the U.S. economy entitled “Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the U.S.” paints a dire picture of what climate change left unchecked could do to the American economy and the effect it could have on ag production by mid-century and beyond, predicting that crop yields in the Midwest and Southern states will drop dramatically due to extreme heat, while warmer temperatures and extended growing seasons for Northern farmers will increase crop yields. Many ag experts are stating that while this report’s predictions on climate change could very well be spot on, it doesn’t take into account the resilience and the adaptability of ag producers.