Macro partitioning
Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2) significantly reduce the protein content of C3 staple crops (rice, wheat, barley, potato), leading to a global increase in the population at risk of protein deficiency by 2050.
This research highlights a systemic risk to global food security rather than an individual intervention. For individuals, the key takeaway is to support agricultural policies that promote crop diversification, particularly the breeding of crops resilient to high CO2, and to prioritize diets that include protein sources less affected by eCO2 (like C4 crops or legumes) where possible. For policymakers, it underscores the urgent need to incorporate crop nutrient decline into food security models.
Under eCO2, rice, wheat, barley, and potato protein contents decreased by 7.6%, 7.8%, 14.1%, and 6.4%, respectively... By 2050... an additional 1.6% or 148.4 million of the world’s population may be placed at risk of protein deficiency because of eCO2.
Why this rating
Based on a large meta-analysis of 99 experiments and 48 crops, though it is a modeling study projecting future scenarios rather than a direct clinical trial.
Source
Estimated Effects of Future Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations on Protein Intake and the Risk of Protein Deficiency by Country and Region
Danielle E. Medek et al. · Environmental Health Perspectives · 2017
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →