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Rice – the staple food of billions – will become less nutritious as carbon dioxide (CO2) levels increase, a new study suggests.

Through cultivating the grain in the high CO2 environments projected for the second half of the century, researchers found a drop in essential nutrients such as protein, zinc, iron, and various B vitamins.

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A finding that could have “devastating effects” on health, particularly in Southeast Asia where roughly 600 million people rely on rice for at least 50 per cent of their daily calories and protein requirements, according to the study in Science Advances.

“Rice is not just a major source of calories, but also proteins and vitamins for many people in developing countries and for poorer communities within developed countries,” said study co-author Kazuhiko Kobayashi of the University of Tokyo.

Nutritional deficiencies, the researchers note, “can directly (cognitive development, metabolism, and immune system) and indirectly (obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus) affect human health on a panoptic scale.”