Nuclear famine is a hypothesized famine considered a potential threat following global or regional detonations or nuclear weapons. It is thought that even subtle cooling effects resulting from a regional nuclear exchange could have a significant impact on agriculture production, triggering a food crisis amongst the world’s survivors. the primary mechanism for human fatalities would likely not be from nuclear blast effects, nor from thermal radiation burns, and not from ionizing radiation, but, rather, from mass starvation.
      Many processes could be involved leading up to a massive food shortage on a global scale. Crops, stored food and agricultural supplies such as fertilizers and pesticides could be instantly destroyed in nuclear blasts; nuclear contamination of soil, air and water could render food unsafe to eat, and crops unable to grow properly; and uncontrollable fires could impede normal agricultural or food gathering activities.
     A new study found that five island nations could produce enough food in spite of reduced sunlight and cooler temperatures caused by soot in the atmosphere following a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere.
     Professor Nick Wilson from the University of Otago, Wellington and independent researcher Doctor Matt Boyd from Adapt Research carried out the research for the new study. The study concluded that New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands were likely to have robust food self-sufficiency, even in an extreme nuclear winter.
     Dr. Boyd said that other countries might be able to produce enough food, However, other factors such as the collapse of industries and social functioning placed their resilience in doubt.
      Professor Wilson added that their findings are consistent with a 1980s study on the impact of nuclear war on New Zealand. However, the resilience of the country has declined since then as its dependence on imported diesel and digital infrastructure has grown.
      Wilson said, “Islands such as New Zealand are often very dependent on imports of refined liquid fuel, may lack energy self-sufficiency and are susceptible to breakdowns and shortages of critical commodities. While New Zealand could divert a high proportion of its dairy exports to supply the local market, it lacks the ability to manufacture many replacement parts for farm and food processing machinery.”
      Boyd said that the report also highlighted the precarious position many countries could find themselves in during a global catastrophe. He added that “New Zealand has the potential to preserve an industrial society through this kind of catastrophe, but it is not ‘plug-and-play. A decent amount of strategic planning needs to happen and across a long period of time, but this planning would have benefits in dealing with a wide range of extreme risks.” He noted that their report also indicates that there is a need to analyze nuclear winter and other abrupt sunlight-reducing scenarios as part of a comprehensive nation risk assessment.
      Boyd went on to say that “We are not aware of any plan for this kind of global catastrophe, including whether priorities for rationing have been considered. With the Government expected to release New Zealand’s first National Security Strategy this year, it is important the catastrophic risks associated with abrupt sunlight-reducing scenarios do not slip through the cracks.”