The World Ahead | Science in 2024
The next pandemic could hit global crop supplies
As plant diseases spread across continents, greater scrutiny is needed
By Caitlin Talbot
Wheat blast, a fungal disease, is poised to turn the world’s breadbasket into a chalky mess. It has spread more than 15,000km in a decade—from Brazil to Argentina, and then Zambia and Bangladesh. It may yet get to India, the second-biggest producer of wheat.
This article appeared in the Science and technology section of the print edition of The World Ahead 2024 under the headline “The next pandemic?”
