You may have heard that plants need carbon dioxide to grow. But according to a new study, too much CO2 in the air may make society's main crops less nutritious, even when they contain more calories.
In the alarming study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, researchers looked at how rising levels of CO2 in the air impacted 43 food crops' nutritional levels.
What they found was striking: crops are overall becoming less nutritious as there is more CO2 in the air, putting millions of people more at risk of malnutrition, and worsening it for those already experiencing it.
Our food is growing less nutritious. Many of humanity's most important crops — including wheat, potatoes, beans — contain fewer vitamins and minerals than they did a generation ago.
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 1, 2026
The culprit behind this damaging phenomenon? Carbon dioxide pollution. https://t.co/NPJ93aLSXG
The authors wrote: "The majority of nutrients respond negatively [to more CO2], suggesting that crops overall are becoming less nutritious … decreasing nutritional value can have devastating health consequences, by contributing to further malnutrition … even if food availability remains constant."
What this means is that even when people facing malnutrition receive enough food, they may not be receiving enough nutrients. Or, as the researchers put it, "it can contribute to hidden hunger, where people have sufficient food calorically but insufficient nutrients."
The study focused on a wide variety of food crops but investigated those most important for feeding the world's population, like wheat and rice.
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"Rice is the primary staple crop for over half of the world's population, and another 2.5 billion people are dependent on wheat," the study said. "Both show significant decreases in essential nutrients such as protein, zinc, and iron."
The Washington Post spoke with Kristie Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington's Center for Health and the Global Environment, who said "the scale of the problem is huge."
Sterre F. ter Haar, the study's lead author, explained to the Post what the results meant, stating that all plants studied saw an average 3.2% reduction in nutrients since the late 1980s and that while this figure might seem small, it represents an enormous risk for the millions of people who live on the brink of malnutrition.
She went on to tell the Post that even though some people like to label CO2 as "plant food," too much of it is resulting in less nutritious (but larger and more sugary) plants.
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Luckily, this means that we can make our food more nutritious by addressing high levels of CO2 pollution. The study explained this succinctly: "We can avoid major nutrient losses by lowering our emissions."
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