The research group including Associate Professor Tomoko Hasegawa of the College of Science and Engineering investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change. The conclusion is clear: international trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger, particularly when protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are eliminated.

The discovery is published in Nature Climate Change on July 20, 2020

URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0847-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0847-4

The research article is titled “Free trade can prevent hunger caused by climate change - International trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger”.

Climate change has consequences for agriculture worldwide, with clear differences between regions. Expectations are that sufficient food will remain available in the Northern hemisphere, but in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, falling crop yields may lead to higher food prices and a sharp rise in hunger. Further liberalization of world trade can relieve these regional differences and reduce hunger.