The media is constantly discussing global warming in such a way that leads us to believe that a global climate change will ultimately be Armageddon, the end of mankind as we know it.  In all actuality, most experts believe that for the next several centuries, the global climate change will do just that- change.  Global warming will not end modern civilization; it will only pose new situations to which we must adapt.

While there is constant worry about the negative effects of global warming, America is actually one of the best positioned countries to adapt to such a climate change.  This is due mostly to the advanced technologies that are made widely available to American farmers.

            We also have the advantage that American farmers deal with a wide range of growing conditions naturally.  This makes it easier to adapt to a new climate because these changes would be made on a regional level. 

The projected climate change is actually just an elevation in our current climate, in other words…higher temperatures.  This will make the adjustment even easier for farmers. For instance, producers in Kentucky can model after what those in a naturally warmer state, such as Georgia or Alabama, were doing before the climate shift.  In this manner, American agriculturalists can share farming methods, instead of revolutionizing their industries as many people once feared.

            Most analysts (?) agree that global warming will likely increase US crop production.  The major worry internationally is whether or not a powerhouse production nation like the US will be able to assist less-developed countries that would face the most negative effects of the change.

            The regions most at risk of famine are the arid or semi-arid regions such as Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.  Agriculture in these areas is already struggling to keep up with their current rate of population growth.  Producers in these nations are not equipped with the technology and equipment to adapt to the prospected change in climate, leaving organizations such as the United Nations and _____ ______ in quite a quandary.  

            So how will this affect the American farmer?  As previously stated, American agriculture is in good position to adapt to the changes expected from global warming.  Because of this, the majority of the export food products, economic stability, and humanitarian aid will likely come from the United States. 

From a dollars and cents standpoint, Mexico alone imported 8 tons of corn from the United States last year.  Imagine a climate shift that leaves Central America too hot for their own farmers to raise corn, the main ingredient in tortillas (a dietary staple for their culture.)  Analysts have hypothesized an increase in as much as a quadrupling the amount of corn imported by Central American countries in this very situation.  With corn today priced at ___ per ton, that’s $________ more per year of exports. 

The basic principles of economics tell us that as demand goes up and supply stays constant, prices go up as well.  While economic changes are dependent on many different factors, most experts agree that global warming will raise the value of corn and other export crops tremendously, and that’s good news for the American farmer.