Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduces nutrients such as iron, zinc, and protein in staple crops including rice, wheat, beans, and potatoes. Many crops now contain fewer vitamins and minerals than they did a generation ago. As nutrient levels decline, the protection these foods provide also declines. Diets that once supported families can increase risks such as pregnancy complications and developmental challenges in children. Even when meals look the same and people consume enough calories, the body receives less of what it needs to thrive. For Black communities, weakened crops may worsen existing health gaps tied to racism in housing, food access, and farm policy, potentially contributing to “hidden hunger.”
"Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is stripping nutrients like iron, zinc, and protein from staple crops such as rice, wheat, beans, and potatoes - the building blocks of Black American diets. New findings reveal that today, many of the crops people rely on contain fewer vitamins and minerals than they did just a generation ago."
"As that nutrition declines, so does the protection these foods offer. Diets that once sustained families now carry higher risks - from pregnancy complications to developmental challenges in children. In simple terms: Even when the plate looks the same, and even when you're eating enough, your body is getting less of what it needs to thrive."
"“A lot of times people don't really think too hard about where your food comes from,” said Ashley Webb, an urban farmer in New Orleans. She has been growing food in the city's Ninth Ward since 2019 and offers free gardening classes to help residents understand their food systems."
"For Black folks, the weakening of crops may deepen long-standing health gaps created by racism in housing, food access, and farm policy. Experts fear it will lead to an epidemic of “hidden hunger,” where rates of undernutrition and obesity grow from the lack of micronutrients in food."
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