How is climate change expected to alter global agricultural zones?

• A. No change
• B. Universal improvement
• C. Shifts toward cooler climates only
• D. Shifts in crop suitability, more extreme weather, droughts/floods, sea-level rise affecting coastal farmland

Answer: (D)

Climate change changes the ingredients that define agricultural zones—temperature, rainfall, and the frequency of extreme weather. As average temperatures rise and weather becomes more erratic, the areas where a crop can grow well shift. Some regions may gain opportunities for crops that require longer growing seasons or tolerate heat, while others lose suitability because of heat stress, drought risk, or shifts in rainfall patterns.

In addition, more frequent droughts and floods disrupt planting, yields, and reliability, reshaping where farming is practical. Coastal farmland faces a real threat from sea-level rise, bringing saltwater intrusion and inundation that reduce productive land and complicate irrigation.

All of these factors together mean agricultural zones will move and reconfigure, with changes in crop suitability, more extreme weather events, and sea-level rise impacting coastal farmland.