Global Food Insecurity and Famine from Reduced Crop, Marine Fishery and Livestock Production due to Climate Disruption from Nuclear War Soot Injection

The authors examine the global food consequences of nuclear war on food security. Through six scenarios of stratospheric soot injection resulting from nuclear detonations, and using integrated climate, crop, and fishery models, they estimate post-war national food calorie availability after the depletion of stored food. The findings reveal that soot injections exceeding 5 Tg would cause severe food shortages worldwide, with livestock and aquatic food systems unable to offset declines in crop production. Even a regional conflict could lead to over 2 billion deaths from famine, while a large-scale war between major powers could result in over 5 billion fatalities. The study underscores the urgent need for international cooperation to prevent nuclear conflict and safeguard global food security.