The West Coast has been in a persistent drought for the past 15 years. California, which grows more than 200 different crops, is being hit the hardest. This year, about 500 million of acres of California’s land is expected to be taken out of production. The consequence: higher produce prices for all Americans.
Timothy Richards, a professor of agribusiness at Arizona State University, conducted research that predicted that 10 to 20 percent of California’s crops could be lost. On top of that, the threat of a megadrought, which can span over two decades, could result in a major economic crisis.
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