Jakarta – A number of staple food crops and grains such as rice, corn and soybeans are particularly vulnerable to climate change, Northwestern University researchers said Friday (19/8). Very high air temperatures will cause some of these grain crops to have difficulty surviving and their yields to decline even though these food sources are the mainstay of global consumption.
Northwestern University research on breadfruit (Artocarpus communis Forst), shows that breadfruit, which is rich in nutrients and endemic to Indonesia, is relatively resistant to climate change, so it has the potential to become a future food source.
“Because breadfruit is resilient to predicted climate change and particularly well-suited to growing in areas that experience high levels of food insecurity, the Northwestern team believes breadfruit could be part of the solution to the worsening global hunger crisis,” the university press release said.
The results of the study were published in PLOS Climate. Daniel Horton of Northwestern University and senior author of the study said that breadfruit is a species that is neglected and underutilised, even though it is relatively resilient in climate change projections. “This is good news because several other staples that we rely on are not so resilient. In really hot conditions, some of those staple crops struggle and yields decrease. As we implement strategies to adapt to climate change, breadfruit should be considered in food security adaptation strategies,” he said.
Horton is an assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, where he leads the Climate Change Research Group. The first author of this paper is Lucy Yang, a former student at Horton’s laboratory. In this study, Horton and Yang worked with breadfruit expert Nyree Zerega, director of the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation, a partnership between Northwestern and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Besides being rich in carbohydrates, these nutrient-rich foods are also high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. In the tropics, people have been eating breadfruit for thousands of years, whether it’s steamed, roasted, fried, or fermented. Breadfruit can also be turned into flour to extend shelf life.
According to Zerega, breadfruit trees can live for decades and produce large amounts of fruit every year. “In some cultures, there is a tradition to plant a breadfruit tree when a child is born to ensure the child will have food for the rest of their life.”
Furthermore, in this study, the researchers wanted to see the effect of increasing temperature and climate change on the ability of breadfruit to grow. The researchers first determined the climatic conditions needed to cultivate breadfruit. Then, they looked at how these conditions are predicted to change in the future, between 2060 and 2080.
For future climate projections, they look at two scenarios, namely a scenario that reflects high greenhouse gas emissions and a scenario where emissions are relatively stable. In both scenarios, most areas suitable for breadfruit cultivation remain unaffected. However, in the tropics and subtropics, the area suitable for growing breadfruit is reduced by 4.4-4.5 percent.
“Despite the fact that climate will drastically change in the tropics, climate is not projected to move outside the window where breadfruit is comfortable,” said Yang.
Although breadfruit is currently known from the Pacific Islands, a number of other studies say this plant actually comes from the territory of Malaysia and Indonesia.
In Indonesia, breadfruit plants are found in almost all areas and are known by various local names, such as suune (Ambon), amo (North Maluku), kamandi, urknem, or beitu (Papua), karara (Bima, Sumba and Flores), susu aek (Rote), naunu (Timor), hatopul (Batak), and baka or bakara (South Sulawesi). (Hartatik)
