The Case of the Missing Beans

According to a recent article in Nature, climate change resulted in a net loss of $11 billion in US soybean production over the period of 1994-2003.

This massive loss was masked by significant improvements in seed genetics and crop management practices which led to an overall gain in total production. The article suggests climate change risks can be mitigated by planting time adjustments and appropriate selection of cultivars. This means the the climate change message needs to be well communicated to farmers so they can adapt. Fortunately most farmers already believe the climate is changing, however many are still skeptical that it is human caused. This is unfortunate because they may not recognize the need for long term adaptation strategies.