Climate change could lead to crops from the banana family becoming a critical food source for millions of people, a new report says. Researchers from the CGIAR agricultural partnership say the fruit might replace potatoes in some developing countries.
Responding to a request from the United Nations' committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important agricultural commodities.
They predict that the world's three biggest crops in terms of calories provided - maize, rice and wheat - will decrease in many developing countries. They suggest that the potato, which grows best in cooler climates, could also suffer as temperatures increase and weather becomes more volatile.
