Scientists are saying if we think the global food situation is bad now, it's copmletely possible factors like climate change and pollution will make things worse - much worse.

The intensity of floods and droughts is expected to increase as temperatures rise, which would mean a major transition for farmers who will have to adjust the crops they grow and the way they grow them. Add that to the increasing population and it seems to spell potential disaster because natural as the demand for food increases, the prices will follow suit.

Somes areas such as Northeastern China are expected to fare better in these circumstances, as warmer temperatures could actually improve growing conditions in their cooler climates, providing an adequate water supply was available. However in southern regions, global warming would likely equal crop losses.

Manwhile, high ozone levels at ground level can also damage crops as the combination of sunlight and pollution from burning fossil fuels decrease yields.

Low-latitude areas could be hit hard if the temperature increases even one to two degrees Celsius, whereas higher carbon dioxide levels and an increased temperature of up to three degrees Celsius could benefit mid to high-latitude areas. However a U.N. climate panel report advises anything higher than three degrees would be harmful to crop development.

At any rate, scientists advise that farmers will be forced to adapt to the changes, such as growing very different crops than those that are common today. A representative from the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines says even though the country develops a variety of rice crops, they are still worried about the effects climate change will have on the industry.

"There is still a lot of uncertainty in the climate modeling when it comes to the regional level," said Reiner Wassmann of IRRI. But it was clear temperatures would rise.

"The other mega trend we see is that we will have more climate extremes. In some places there might be more drought, in others it may be submergence, from floods, in some places it might be both," said Wassmann, coordinator of the Rice and Climate Change Consortium at IRRI.

"That is really a new challenge for development of cropping systems and I don't want to limit it to only plant breeding. We have to be clear that this is no silver bullet and that if we speed-up plant breeding everything will be fine. Certainly not.

"We also have to improve crop management and water saving techniques have come into the picture to cope with drought," he said.

» Reuters Environment