Scientists from China and the United States warn of a silent loss in global food production: microplastics can reduce wheat, rice, and corn by up to 14%, while 3,286 observations point to a risk of hunger for up to 400 million more people in the coming decades.

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 28/04/2026 at 08:33

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Study indicates that microplastics can reduce food production by up to 14% and increase global hunger risk in the coming decades.

In 2025, an international study published on March 10 in the scientific journal PNAS placed microplastics at the center of a new alert for global food security. The research, led by scientists from institutions in China and the United States, analyzed 3,286 experimental records and estimated that these particles can reduce the efficiency of photosynthesis in terrestrial plants, marine algae, and freshwater algae. The most concerning impact appears in the crops that sustain much of the world’s food: rice, wheat, and corn.

According to the authors, the estimated annual loss in the production of these foods can range from 109.73 million to 360.87 million tons per year, turning microplastic pollution into a problem that is no longer just environmental but directly affects the foundation of global food production.

Understand how nearly invisible particles can interfere with photosynthesis, reduce plant growth, and increase pressure on food security on a global scale.

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More than 3,286 observations show a consistent pattern of decline in productivity

The scientific analysis gathered data from 157 experimental studies, totaling 3,286 observations, making the survey one of the most comprehensive ever conducted on the subject.

The results indicate that the presence of microplastics in soil and the environment can reduce agricultural productivity by a range of 4% to 14%, depending on the crop and the conditions analyzed.

This type of reduction, although it may seem moderate in percentage terms, gains scale when applied to global production. Even small percentage declines in essential crops can represent massive losses when considered on a global level.

Microplastics directly interfere with plant photosynthesis

The main mechanism identified by researchers is linked to photosynthesis, a fundamental process for plant growth.

Studies show that microplastics can reduce global photosynthetic efficiency by 7% to 12%, affecting the ability of plants to convert sunlight into energy.

This impact occurs through different pathways:

partial blockage of light on leaf surfaces
release of toxic substances
interference with water and nutrient absorption
alteration of soil structure

By compromising photosynthesis, microplastics directly affect the foundation of plant growth.

Contaminated soil alters root structure and functioning

In addition to photosynthesis, microplastics also affect the soil, the environment where plants develop their roots. These particles can modify:

water retention
air circulation in the soil
nutrient availability

As a result, roots operate in a less efficient environment, compromising plant development from their early stages. The impact occurs not only on the surface but also on the structural basis of plant growth.

Projection indicates an increase of up to 400 million people at risk of hunger

Based on the collected data, researchers developed models to estimate the global effects of the decline in agricultural productivity.

The projections indicate that if the impact of microplastics continues to advance, the number of people at risk of hunger could increase by up to 400 million in the coming decades.

Scientists from China and the United States warn of a silent loss in global food production: microplastics can reduce wheat, rice, and corn by up to 14%, while 3,286 observations point to a risk of hunger for up to 400 million more people in the coming decades — microplastics can reduce food production by up to 14%

This number does not represent currently observed data, but an estimate based on the combination of reduced agricultural production, population growth, and pressure on food systems.

The potential scale of the impact positions microplastics as a relevant factor in global food security.

Impact can add to other known factors, such as climate change

The study indicates that microplastics do not act in isolation. They add to other factors already pressuring food production, such as climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and increased global demand.

This combination can amplify the negative effects on agriculture. The risk is not just in an isolated factor, but in the convergence of multiple pressures on the food system.

Microplastics are already present in agricultural soils worldwide

Another important point is that the presence of microplastics is not localized. These particles have already been detected in agricultural soils in different regions of the planet, resulting from the degradation of plastic waste, the use of contaminated fertilizers, irrigation with polluted water, and atmospheric deposition.

This means that the problem is not restricted to specific areas but can affect agricultural systems globally. The dissemination of microplastics expands the potential reach of the impact identified by the studies.

Although the results are consistent, researchers emphasize that there are still uncertainties. Part of the analyzed data comes from controlled experiments in laboratories or simulated environments, which may differ from real field conditions.

Therefore, new studies are needed to validate large-scale impacts, understand regional variations, and refine future projections. The identified trend is clear, but the exact magnitude is still being investigated.

Global food security can be affected by an invisible factor

Unlike extreme weather events or agricultural pests, microplastics represent an invisible threat.

They do not cause immediately perceptible impacts but act gradually, cumulatively, and silently. This type of risk is harder to detect and mitigate, especially in complex agricultural systems.

The absence of visible signs can delay the response to a problem that is already underway.

Scientists from China and the United States warn of a silent loss in global food production: microplastics can reduce wheat, rice, and corn by up to 14%, while 3,286 observations point to a risk of hunger for up to 400 million more people in the coming decades.

Study indicates that microplastics can reduce food production by up to 14% and increase global hunger risk in the coming decades.

More than 3,286 observations show a consistent pattern of decline in productivity

Microplastics directly interfere with plant photosynthesis

Contaminated soil alters root structure and functioning

Projection indicates an increase of up to 400 million people at risk of hunger

Impact can add to other known factors, such as climate change

Microplastics are already present in agricultural soils worldwide

Global food security can be affected by an invisible factor

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Scientists from China and the United States warn of a silent loss in global food production: microplastics can reduce wheat, rice, and corn by up to 14%, while 3,286 observations point to a risk of hunger for up to 400 million more people in the coming decades.

Study indicates that microplastics can reduce food production by up to 14% and increase global hunger risk in the coming decades.

More than 3,286 observations show a consistent pattern of decline in productivity

Microplastics directly interfere with plant photosynthesis

Contaminated soil alters root structure and functioning

Projection indicates an increase of up to 400 million people at risk of hunger

Impact can add to other known factors, such as climate change

Microplastics are already present in agricultural soils worldwide

Global food security can be affected by an invisible factor

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

The island that has 35 inhabitants and celebrates Christmas on January 6: the remote island of Foula lives in isolation, without internet and following Julius Caesar’s calendar for centuries.

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How much does a butcher earn at Assaí, Carrefour, and Atacadão in 2026? Updated salaries range between R$ 2,800 and R$ 3,490; but earnings can exceed R$ 4,500 with promotion and a package including PLR, productivity bonuses, and other attractive benefits.

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