One-third of global corn crop faces water stress, study shows

Corn

The $65 billion U.S. corn industry faces a range of water-related risks that could disrupt production of this key crop: unchecked groundwater withdrawals, nutrient pollution, shifting precipitation patterns from climate change, and increasing demand from cities and industries. But companies, investors, and governments have the opportunity to intervene.

That’s the central message of a U.S.-focused report released today by Ceres, featuring analysis and mapping from WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. While the United States accounts for nearly 40 percent of global production, corn production all over the world faces similar threats. WRI finds that one-third of the world’s corn production occurs in highly or extremely highly water-stressed regions.

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