Experts Warn of Catastrophic Threat to Global Food Supply from Fungal Attacks

Fungal attacks on important crops are rising rapidly and could lead to a global health catastrophe, warn scientists. Fungi are already the biggest destroyer of crops, and their impact is expected to worsen as the climate crisis results in rising temperatures and fungal infections moving steadily polewards. Fungal pathogens have been moving to higher latitudes at a rate of about 7km a year since the 1990s. Existing fungicides and conventional breeding for disease resistance are no longer enough, and new solutions such as planting seed mixtures and developing new pesticides are needed to prevent global starvation.