Rising CO₂ Is Making Food Less Nutritious — and More Caloric
Jeff Davis | Go back to current news
Posted 12/19/2025
A new study from Leiden University finds that increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are altering the nutritional composition of many staple crops, with potentially serious implications for global health. Scientists analyzed nearly 60,000 measurements across 43 different crops and 32 nutrients, comparing plant growth under historical CO₂ levels (350 ppm) with levels expected by 2065 (550 ppm).
Key Findings
More Calories, Fewer Nutrients: Elevated CO₂ boosts plant growth and carbohydrate content, making crops more calorific. However, this growth comes with a decline in essential nutrients like protein, zinc, and iron.
Significant Nutrient Drops: Some nutrients dropped sharply in certain foods—for example, zinc in chickpeas could fall by up to 37.5 % as CO₂ rises.
Potential for Increased Toxins: There’s preliminary evidence that harmful elements (e.g., lead) might also increase under higher CO₂, though more research is needed.
Hidden Hunger Risk: Even where calories are sufficient, nutrient shortages may worsen “hidden hunger,” especially in regions already struggling with micronutrient deficiencies.
Broader Concerns
Researchers say the shift highlights the need to focus not just on food quantity but nutrient quality as the climate changes. They recommend further studies into how CO₂ interacts with farming practices and crop breeding, to help protect nutrition in future food systems.
Sourced from phys.org
Key Findings
More Calories, Fewer Nutrients: Elevated CO₂ boosts plant growth and carbohydrate content, making crops more calorific. However, this growth comes with a decline in essential nutrients like protein, zinc, and iron.
Significant Nutrient Drops: Some nutrients dropped sharply in certain foods—for example, zinc in chickpeas could fall by up to 37.5 % as CO₂ rises.
Potential for Increased Toxins: There’s preliminary evidence that harmful elements (e.g., lead) might also increase under higher CO₂, though more research is needed.
Hidden Hunger Risk: Even where calories are sufficient, nutrient shortages may worsen “hidden hunger,” especially in regions already struggling with micronutrient deficiencies.
Broader Concerns
Researchers say the shift highlights the need to focus not just on food quantity but nutrient quality as the climate changes. They recommend further studies into how CO₂ interacts with farming practices and crop breeding, to help protect nutrition in future food systems.
Sourced from phys.org
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