How Climate Change Is Making Our Food Less Nutritious

You Should Know: Extreme weather, rising sea levels, environmental loss — these are the impacts most of us associate with climate change. These effects can feel abstract when they’re not unfolding in our own backyards — but now, researchers have identified a consequence that hits much closer to home. Rising atmospheric CO2 may actually be making our food less nutritious, even when the results of the harvest look totally fine.

Going Deeper: Plants thrive on CO2 and convert it into energy, thereby growing bigger and faster than ever. The problem is their mineral uptake doesn’t scale with that growth, so the nutrients get diluted across a larger plant. A recent study tracking 43 crops found that overall nutrient levels — including protein, iron, and zinc — have decreased by about 3.2% since the late 1980s.

Takeaway: Researchers have floated dietary supplements as a potential solution. However, the honest answer is that the evidence on their effectiveness is still pretty limited.

Bottom Line: The most grounded advice right now is to take in a varied diet, which, yes, you’ve heard before, but it holds up even when the produce aisle seems to be working against you.