How Climate Change Is Transforming American Agriculture: 7 Stark Facts

The Ogallala Aquifer Is Running Out — Threatening Plains Farming

The Ogallala Aquifer underlies 8 Great Plains states and irrigates $35B in crops annually. It is being depleted 30× faster than it recharges. Within decades, much of it could be gone.

Heat Stress Is Reducing Crop Yields Across the Corn Belt

Corn and soybean yields drop sharply when temperatures exceed critical thresholds during pollination. The Corn Belt — Iowa, Illinois, Indiana — is already experiencing these impacts annually.

Flooding Is Destroying Entire Planting Seasons in the Midwest

The 2019 Midwest floods destroyed 19 million acres of planted fields — one of the most costly agricultural disasters in US history. More intense rainfall events make such seasons more likely.

California's $50B Agriculture Industry Faces an Existential Water Crisis

California grows half the nation's fruits, nuts, and vegetables. But snowpack loss, aquifer depletion, and multi-year droughts are making water increasingly scarce for farmers across the state.

Regenerative Agriculture Can Build Resilience and Sequester Carbon

No-till farming, cover crops, and perennial grasses can simultaneously reduce emissions, improve soil health, and increase resilience to both drought and flood — while sequestering billions of tons of carbon.

America's Food Supply Depends on Agriculture Adapting to Climate Now

From the Great Plains to the Central Valley, US farmers are on the front lines of climate change. Without adaptation support and policy reform, America's food security is at real risk.