Extreme heat from climate change threatens food security in the world’s two food-producing superpowers. Climate adaptation for agriculture is a must. The US and China have much to share on climate-smart farming practices to help us both weather the storms and droughts. 

2023 brought scorching heat waves that baked crops and livestock in China and the United States. In China, farm animals and fish died from extreme heat in June with some provinces enduring weeks of temperatures above 40°C (104°F). In one farm, a heatwave-triggered power outage resulted in hundreds of pigs suffocating to death after shed fans stopped working.

Vacillating extreme temperatures are also devastating perennial crops. The prized peaches in Georgia need about 1,100 “chill hours” to fully develop, but the warm winter temperatures, particularly at night, caused premature development. Then, two below-freezing spells in March wiped out 80% to 90% of the crop.

While the United States and China are the world’s food superpowers, neither is immune to climate change threats to food security. Data on climate-linked crop losses is hard to dig up, but in 2022, extreme weather events cost the United States approximately $145 billion in damages. In 2020, flooding in China resulted in a direct loss of $26 billion and crop failures on 1.14 million hectares of cropland – an area about the size of Connecticut.

Farmers of the future will need to change the way they grow food. In the 2021 US-China Glasgow Climate Declaration, the two sides highlighted adaptation efforts for more climate-resilient agriculture as a new area of cooperation and exchange. US and Chinese policymakers and scientists have much to share on policies and programs to ensure fruitful adaptation efforts. The two countries must be flexible to meet farmers’ changing needs and incentivize innovation to adapt to future climate challenges.

Hot Farms

While visiting the research dairy farm at The Ohio State University, I saw cows lounging in the shade underneath loud giant fans. The dairy manager John Lemmermen explained how heat stress reduces cows’ milk yield, increases susceptibility to diseases, and could even cause death. Climate change worsens these threats to cows and other animals: high temperatures can reduce weight gain and feed intake of pigs by more than 10%. Heat stress in the poultry industry can harm the health of birds and result in economic losses of $128 to $165 million for the United States.

Plant growth needs a balance of light, water, mineral nutrients, and suitable temperatures to thrive. When one of these factors is misaligned, such as with Georgia’s peaches, plants might produce a lower yield or die.  High nighttime temperatures can also result in poor crop pollination because the plants produce less viable pollen. Kansas State University researchers found a 5 percent reduction in wheat yield for every 1o C increase in temperature. Farmers growing rice, a staple food crop for over half of the world’s population, could lose 4 to 7 percent of their yields for every 1o C increase in temperature. 

Extreme weather events are costly to agriculture. Severe rainstorms can increase flooding frequency. The most productive farms in the US northeast are often in river valleys and thus were vulnerable to floods in July 2023. Data on climate-linked crop losses is hard to dig up, but in 2022, extreme weather events cost the United States approximately $145 billion in damages, about $450 per person. In 2020, floods alone in China resulted in a direct loss of $26 billion and crop failures on 1.14 million hectares of cropland – an area about the size of Connecticut.

Adaption is a Risky Business

Farmers who have successfully farmed their land for generations must carefully weigh options to deal with extreme weather events. Farming is a risky business, says Randall Reeder, Faculty Emeritus in Agricultural Engineering at the Ohio State University. In Ohio, farmers like to finish planting corn in early May for maximum yield. If rainy weather delays planting, they could switch to a short-season variety of corn, or plant soybeans instead. In the US farmers can reduce their risk of crop loss by buying crop insurance. Farmers have learned how to adapt to the weather.  

On a larger farm, farmers may try new practices on small sections, says Ying Li, a trainer with The Nature Conservancy in China. This strategy offers farmers a less risky adaptation pathway. Ying Li has been training Chinese farmers on healthy soil practices like cover crops and no-till agriculture that help sequester more carbon in the soil. This climate mitigation practice also keeps moisture in the soil and adapt to growing droughts. 

Many farmers in the United States are aware that the climate is changing, but need help accessing federal training and resources to support climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. 

Sowing the Seeds of Adaptation

Farmers in the United States, China, and beyond are innovating in adapting to climate change.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing risk and disaster management assistance to communities like those in Vermont hit by flooding in July 2023. China, which passed a national adaptation action plan in 2022, aims to reduce flooding risk  through “hard” infrastructure like dams, flood control reservoirs, and risky water diversion megaprojects. Some “soft” adaptation measures include better zoning, flood forecasting systems, and awareness raising.

These efforts are encouraging, but adaptation funding remains quite low. Besides increasing funding, the two governments could help provide more  information on adaptation practices through agricultural extension. 

Farmers will need to learn new ways to farm in a changing climate–from adopting new heat tolerant varieties and changing planting and harvest times to shifting to new crops. Outreach to farmers through agricultural extension is a well-established strategy that could facilitate adaptation action. 

Rich Harvests from Joint Learning and Research 

Outreach and joint learning is essential to facilitate adaptation, says Dr. Robyn Wilson, Professor of Risk Analysis and Decision Science at The Ohio State University. Her research analyzes how to improve strategies to expand adaptation among farmers, in part by amplifying farmer voices and by highlighting climate impacts. One such project features farmers telling their own stories of adaptation and elevating these stories through partnerships with farm organizations.

Adaptation also hinges on support of research into new varieties, equipment, and farming systems. Scientists have genetically engineered flood-tolerant rice to adapt to the more intense and heavier duration of flooding. The US Environmental Protection Agency provides adaptation strategies for communities threatened by climate change. Climate change is a complex “wicked” problem. Thus, more interdisciplinary research into the efficiency and effectiveness of adaptation measures is needed. As part of its Adaptation Plan, USDA created Climate Hubs to connect its research, strategies, and tools to farmers to help them assess their vulnerability to climate change and take action. 

In the face of tense US-China relations, agriculture adaptation and climate-smart farming practices to help rural communities could be an ideal, non-competitive area to renew the stalled climate conversations. In both countries, farmer livelihoods are at risk, animals are in danger, and food security is on the line.