A group of British and American scientists have said that the world needs to prepare itself for global food shortages in the near future. Speaking at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the scientists unveiled disturbing new research that suggests future extreme events could affect the global food system so dramatically that it will result in ‘food shocks’ across the world. Eurekalert.org reports: Food shocks have the potential to wreak havoc on food markets, commodity exports, and families around the world. Because distant regions are increasingly connected by global markets, the threat of extreme events occurring in different breadbaskets simultaneously is especially concerning. For example, what if severe drought in the US Midwest withers the soy and maize harvest at the same time that a record-breaking heat wave in Europe bakes the continent’s wheat crop? In a report released last year, an independent expert taskforce from the UK and USA outlined key recommendations to safeguard against threats to food supplies. At the AAAS meeting, researchers from the taskforce will discuss the impact of new research and outline the prognosis for 2016. Kirsty Lewis, Applied Climate Science Team Leader at the UK’s Met Office, [...]