Canada, U.S. lose $2.9B in wheat crops, climate change fueling diseases
As of 2023, Canada’s agricultural industry employed 2.3 million people and generated about $150 billion annually.
For years, experts have warned climate change threatens agriculture, with some research suggesting up to 13 per cent of global wheat production could be negatively affected by 2050.
Now, a new multi-year study points to a real-time example: A recent paper suggests that diseases cost Canadian and U.S. wheat producers US$2.9 billion between 2018 and 2021.
That equates to the loss of about 560 million bushels, or about $18.10 per acre across 29 U.S. states and in Ontario.
The losses are linked to nearly 30 diseases, with fusarium head blight, stripe rust, and leaf rust coming out as the top three pathogens, but losses varied based on local weather and environmental conditions.
Researchers say 2019 was the worst year observed, with 188 bushels lost to disease.
How does climate change impact wheat production?
Climate change can assist in the proliferation of agricultural diseases by creating longer, warmer seasons that help new, and potentially more dangerous, pathogen strains emerge. It can also increase the range of a pathogen and put more plants at risk.
Climate change also enables invasive crop pests increase their range and venture into areas that were previously off-limits, due to historically colder temperatures.
How will climate change impact agriculture in Canada?
“The impacts of climate change will not be uniform across Canada, nor will they be uniform across seasons. In terms of production, there are likely to be opportunities, in some regions, to grow warmer-weather crops and take advantage of a longer growing season with fewer cold weather events that can damage crops,” reads a statement on the Government of Canada’s website.
“There will also be challenges to production arising from water stress (flooding or drought), heat stress, wind damage, increased pest and disease pressures, and the impact from these multiple stressors on soil health, which can reduce the productivity, profitability, and competitiveness of Canadian farmers.”
As of 2023, Canada’s agricultural industry employed 2.3 million people and generated about $150 billion annually, equating to about 7 per cent of the country’s GDP.
Header image: File photo via Getty Images Pro/Canva.