Hannah Ritchie
The world’s agricultural farmland is shrinking but production is up. Can this trend continue?
Throughout the 20th Century, humanity demanded more and more land leading to the loss of vast areas of natural forest ...
Is the global food supply collapsing as temperatures gradually increase? Just the opposite, as world is on track for record harvests
It’s not uncommon for people to tell me that global food production is already collapsing due to climate change. They ...
Rewilding of former farmlands is increasing. What are the sustainability benefits?
Reaching "peak agricultural land" does not mean the problem of deforestation is solved. Growing demand for products like beef, soy, ...
Global warming is already impacting crop yields. What does the future hold?
How much will climate change affect food production? Will it hurt or benefit crop yields? Can we feed 8, 9, ...
How has climate change reduced crop yields over the past quarter century
Agriculture is arguably the industry most sensitive to changes in the climate. Crops need CO2, water — not too little ...
The global food system is already under stress from climate change. Here’s what the future might hold
The impact of climate change on yields will depend on several factors: the type of crop, how much warmer the ...
Viewpoint: Sri Lanka’s ‘tragic’ legacy — To encourage sustainable farming, countries cannot ignore food production and socioeconomic trade-offs
Sri Lanka is a particularly dramatic case showing how rash and poorly designed policies can lead to tragic consequences. In ...
68% decline in animal populations? Journalists misreport Living Planet Index study. Here are the facts
The Living Planet Index is the biodiversity metric that always claims the headlines. It’s often misinterpreted. How should we understand ...
Viewpoint: Blind optimism — Cynicism plays an important role in science but it won’t help us solve the world’s most crushing problems
Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. It’s no wonder, then, that pessimistic messages hit the headlines, and optimistic ones hardly ...
Switching from beef to chicken can have big environmental benefits — but it also means many more animals to miserable lives and death
We often talk about steak, lamb chops, bacon and chicken nuggets as if they’re on a level playing field. Just ...
10% — not 75% — of crop yield is pollinator-dependent: Our World in Data charts raise doubts about claims that global food supply is imminently endangered by ‘disappearing’ insects
It’s unfortunate that the wildlife we care least about provides us with the most functional value. We favor the bears ...
Infographic: Global cancer death rates declining or holding steady
The overall global trends on cancer mortality ... tells a story which at first glance can seem conflicting. The total ...
Infographic: US cancer death rates have been dropping steadily after many peaked in the early 1990s
The chart provides longer-run trends in cancer death rates, from 1930 in the United States... . Overall, particularly in lung ...
Infographic: Number of people with cancer has more than doubled since 1990
How many people in the world have cancer? Globally, it's estimated that 42 million people across the world suffered from ...
Infographic: 5-year US cancer survival rates are on the rise
Despite increasing global cancer deaths, cancer death rates across many types have been falling. This is partly attributed to earlier ...
Global average income has tripled in 50 years, driving rapid increase in meat consumption
You may have heard an increasing number of people vow to reduce their meat eating lately - or cut it ...
Is organic really better for the environment than conventional agriculture?
As the total global population continues to rise and economic growth drives a transition towards more resource-intensive diets, a growing ...